Christmas
by OodHappenings
Summary: A fluffy tale with the Torchwood team, as per request by a friend. Rated as it may (most likely) get heated at the end. An engagment story, so slight AU Jack/Ianto Rhys/Gwen slight Tosh/Owen.
1. Chapter 1

Christmas time at the hub was always chaotic at best.

The rift seemed to be in overdrive, constantly spitting out anything and everything.

Being run rampant for the past few weeks had left little time for things like Christmas shopping and holiday cheer.

It was December 23 before anyone could pause for breath.

Tosh fell back into her chair, glancing at the rift predictions before sighing with relief.

"It looks like the rift is going to take the night off, nothing predicted until after Boxing Day."

Gwen smiled warmly.

"Thank God, I haven't had time to do any Christmas shopping for Rhys!"

"Or anyone for that matter."

Added Ianto, bringing around another round of coffee.

Jack came bounding out of his office, sliding down the banister like a young child.

"Alright everyone, it's all set up!"

The team turned, staring at their clearly insane captain.

"Would you mind filling the gaps in there, sir?"

Ianto asked as Jack put his hands around the Welshman's shoulders.

"The office Christmas party! I got us booth down at this great pub down town. I figured we could all use a break, Gwen could bring Rhys, and we could exchange gifts."

At gifts, Jack's grin lit up even brighter.

"There is just one hole in that plan Jack."

Tosh pointed at the captain.

"We haven't had time to finish our shopping."

Jack's grin faltered.

Owen dashed into the room then, his hands in the air.

"I have!"

All eyes turned to him, shocked expressions all around.

"How? I know you don't sleep anymore, but really, what shop has been open?"

Gwen questioned, confused.

"Online shopping Gwen. I ordered everythin' three weeks ago, and it all turned up on my doorstep this morning, pre-wrapped and ready to go."

They all looked at the doctor, amazed that Owen had though of something so clever.

"Well I, for one am going shopping this evening."

Ianto downed the rest of his coffee before putting on his over coat.

Tosh stood, setting her mug down.

"May I join you?"

She really didn't want to shop alone, and she had a feeling that Ianto would want some company.

The Welshman smiled, and bowed graciously to her.

"Why yes Ms. Sato I would be delighted to have you join me. But for the record, I won't have you peaking at your present."

The Technician giggled and Ianto helped her into her coat, before they walked arm in arm out of the Hub.

"Well Jack, it looks like our resident tech expert has snatched up your Tea-boy."

Owen laughed, but the ribbing did not do anything for Jack.

His face fell slightly, and he shrugged.

"Oh well, at least he is in good hands. Now then, the party is at Y Mochyn Du, Sophia Close. If you need the exact address I'll text you. Now if you will excuses me I have some Christmas shopping to do."

Before either Owen or Gwen could react, he was out the cog door, a flurry of coat tails and fury.

"Way do go idiot. Now Jack is upset."

The dead man just rolled his eyes and headed to the door.

"Well obviously something else must have been eating at him for that little of a comment to set him off."

Gwen stopped, Owen had to be right.

"Cachu."

She whispered, taking the lift up to the surface.


	2. Chapter 2

Flitting in and out of shops,searching, digging, but never finding what he was really looking for, Ianto had finally given up.

He had managed to grab something for the entire team -including sneaking off from Tosh long enough to snag her a present-but he kept coming up empty handed for the one person he wanted so badly to impress.

"Come on Ianto, lets get some hot chocolate and compare shopping notes."

She grabbed his arm and pulled him into a warm café, away from the growing chill of the evening.

Neither of them noticed the man in the RAF jacket sitting in the shadowy corner of the self same café, munching on a pastry and sipping his cider gingerly, trying to think of the perfect present for the man that he loved.

"This one good Ianto? Ianto."

The Welshman was zoned out, his eyes distanced, and his teeth worrying his lower lip.

"Earth to Ianto Jones."

Tosh said waving her arm in front of his face.

"What? Oh sorry Tosh, spaced out there for a bit, yea this table is fine."

Jack looked up.

Not even two tables away from him he saw the very man that had filled his thoughts, sitting down in a romantic little window booth with none other than Tosh.

He sighed inwardly.

His fault.

_I should probably leave before they notice me._

But he didn't.

The immortal just sat there, listening intently to what the two were saying.

"So what is it, spit it out."

Tosh said, taking a long sip of her drink.

"It's nothing Tosh, don't worry about it."

The technician crossed her arms over her chest and glared at the Welshman.

"Like hell it's nothing. The longer we've been out today the more depressed you've become, so what is it then."

Ianto sighed, he had to talk to someone, and he trusted Tosh.

"It's Jack."

That caught the immortal's interest.

He sat up a little higher in his chair, bowing his head over the table to shield his face.

"What about him, oh no, what has he done now?"

Tosh stated, concerned for her friend.

"Nothing, he hasn't done anything."

The Welshman peered into his mug, swirling the drink absentmindedly.

"And is that the problem?"

Ianto ruffled his hair with his hand, before taking another sip of his hot chocolate.

_Stalling. _

Tosh thought, but allowed it, feelings were something Ianto had never had any luck expressing.

"Part of it, but not really that much, its more me than anything. I'm the daft old sod that fell for him."

Jack froze, fell for him?

Ianto?

"I mean he did lay out, in no uncertain terms, that this thing that we have is not now, nor will it ever be, anything more than shagging. And at first it was fine, but then he left, and I wasn't prepared, it tore me apart Tosh, way more than it should have."

Tosh was rubbing soothing circles in the Welshman's hands.

"And then he comes back, and I was happy, so very happy, but I was pissed. He up and leaves without a word, and then waltzes back in like nothing happened. Then, out of the blue, he asks me out on a date. For a moment I thought that maybe he was breaking his own rules, that maybe I was more than just a shag, and we could try for some kind of relationship, and that date had gone well! We went to the Electro, ate dinner. It was touching and kind and perfect, but that was it. After that it was back to basics. Flirting and quick groping, shagging whenever we get a moment, but nothing more. No emotion on his part. Too much on mine. Gwen's wedding proved that one."

Tosh stiffened.

She remembered all too well the humiliation that Ianto had felt at that wedding, how poorly the captain had treated him then.

"And to cap it all I-" A tear fell, unbidden, rolling down his cheek, and it matched the ones that were rolling down Jack's in the privacy of his own booth. "I love him Tosh, so very much. And this entire time I've been looking for the perfect present for him. Something that would tell him how I feel without me having to say it. But everything I can think of would scare him away. You know what the first thing that sprung into my mind was?"

He was crying freely now, his voice quiet and rough as the emotions flowing through him poured themselves out. Tosh shook her head, the whole situation making her want to burst into tears and wrap the Welshman up in a blanket, never letting him out of her sight.

"A ring Tosh. The first bloody thing that I wanted to do was give him me, for all of the time I have left here. I can't give him forever, but I wanted to give him me. I mean how stupid would I have to be?"

He put his head in his hands, suddenly exhausted.

"How stupid can I be to think that he would except that , that he would settle for being tied to me for the next ten years. It wouldn't be fair to him Tosh."

Jack was floored.

Between him finding out that Ianto loved him, that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with him, he had also learned that the idiot thought that he wouldn't want him.

Somehow that hurt more than anything.

"And now, I have less than two days till Christmas, to get Captain Jack Bloody Harkness, the perfect present, and I cannot think of a single thing."

Tosh stood, hugging the Archivist tightly before stepping back and grabbing her shopping bags.

"Well I don't know, I personally would be happy with a handsome Welshman for Christmas, but I have an idea, come on."

Jack watched as Ianto wiped his eyes with his jacket sleeves before grabbing his shopping bags and heading out the café door.

The immortal looked down into his mug of cooling cider, ideas of how to set things right swirling with his doubts and fears.

_One way or another, I will fix this._


	3. Chapter 3

Tosh had dragged Ianto several blocks to the shadier sections of Cardiff, forcing him into an antiques shop that he had vaguely recognized.

"Tosh, why are we here, this place looks a bit,well, seedy."

She just rolled her eyes and pulled him through the front door, a mischievous grin filling her features.

The petite woman sauntered up to the counter, in away so reminiscent of their captain that Ianto shivered.

"Clyde, you in Clyde?"

A short ball of a man, barely taller than Tosh, yet three times her width, waddled out from behind the counter, his coke bottle glasses falling down on his nose, and his rotund belly straining the fastenings of his flannel shirt.

Ianto didn't know what to make of him.

"Aye Bonny, I'm here, don't get your pretty little knickers in a twist."

He stepped up onto a stool, and Ianto couldn't help the slight grin that tugged on his lips.

"So lass, what can Uncle Clyde do for you this late in the evening, didn't get another call on one of my inventory did you?"

Ianto could have slapped himself, of course that's how he knew this place.

This was one of the depositories for Rift junk.

"No Clyde, this is not a business call. My friend here is looking for something special for his special someone."

She waggled her eyebrows suggestively, and the Welshman blushed softly.

The older man stroked his snow white mustache, seeming to analyze Ianto.

"Well then, Miss Sato, it appears I get a chance to play Father Christmas. That's always fun! Come along then, lets delve into the special inventory, nothing out there will suit what you need lad."

The man leapt of off his perch, waving them back into the store room of the little shop.

"So Lad, what's your name?"

Ianto paused.

"Jones, Ianto Jones."

He winced when he realized what he had said.

"Well then Mr. Jones, tell me, how long have you and your boyfriend been seeing each other?" To

sh smiled as Ianto turned a deep shade of red.

"How did- h-how did you figure that out that it was a boyfriend."

He stuttered and the shop keeper turned his eyes twinkling softly.

"Well lad, two reasons. One, the fact that you came in here with Ms. Sato to buy a gift, and any really linear man would be with Ms. Sato, not just shopping with her."

Tosh giggled and Ianto smiled.

"And the second reason?"

Ianto prompted, curious.

"Captain Jack Harkness never stops talking about you."

If ever there were a darkest shade of red that a human's skin could reach, Ianto just surpassed it.

Even Tosh had to pause at that.

"Oh, see, always putting my foot in my mouth I am. I figured you would have known. I'm a resettled rift traveler. Harkness helped me set up shop here in the 80's. Got sucked in from the 40's. Hell of a shock it all was. I was 30 at the time, just as rotund then too, don't worry lad. Anyway he comes by every now and then to check on me, but Bonny here makes sure to bring food when she visits, warms an old mans heart she does."

Tosh grinned again, taking Ianto's hand and squeezing it softly.

"Here we are, the Vidara Collection." The man opened a glass topped case, revealing several gorgeous amulets lined up in rows.

One in particular seemed to gleam in the dim lighting.

Ianto brushed his fingers over the inscription on slim rectangle, amazed to find it warm to the touch.

"I see one has chosen you, that's great, I wasn't wrong then."

Ianto grasped the necklace, amazed at how heavy such a delicate looking thing could be.

"It's actually two necklaces in one. Legend has it that the necklaces were forged in ancient Rome by these ladies who could see the future. They would make these amulets infused with the binding power of two souls. Basically it can only be worn by two soul mates."

Tosh slung her slender arms around the old man, almost knocking him off balance.

"Clyde! You're a genius! What language is that written in?"

Tosh asked.

"I haven't the slightest, its different from all the rest, and silver instead of gold. Tell me Jones, was it warm, you know, to the touch?"

The Welshman nodded.

"Yes, and heavy." His voice still warm with awe.

"So it is for you then. Tell ya what, it's yours, I'll even let you choose a case for it."

Ianto's head snapped up.

"Seriously?"

The skepticism was palpable.

Clyde just shrugged.

"It's Christmas, Harkness is an old friend, you seem like a good man, and knowing Ms. Sato's taste, you probably spent a fortune on her gift."

The old man began waddling back to the counter, Tosh following closely behind.

Ianto simply stared forward, the necklace cradled in his palms, before quickly catching up with his friend.

It was two hours more before the two friends managed to make it back to Tosh's apartment.

"Let's get all this wrapped then. I'll get the papers if you will make some coffee."

Ianto sighed.

_Even on holiday._

"Sure thing, but don't peak at what I bought you."

He teased, nudging her lightly in the ribs.

"Fine, same goes for you."

She giggle and rushed off, while Ianto started the coffee.

He felt his trouser pockets vibrate and rolled his eyes, a phone call.

_Please don't be the HUB. _

The name on the front was Jack, so he flipped it open.

"Jones."

"Ianto, hey, I tried calling your home phone, are you still out with Tosh?"

Ianto sighed, for someone who refused to be in a relationship, he sure was possessive.

"Yea, well I'm at her place, wrapping presents and all that. Why?"

"Just thought that I might come over with dinner."

Ianto's ears perked at this.

Jack doesn't do domestic.

And he doesn't sound so passive either.

"Are you ok Jack? Do you need me to come home?"

Jack couldn't help but smile at the fact that the Welshman had said home instead of the flat.

"No, enjoy your night, I was just curious. Anyway, the news said that there may be a snow storm tonight, so if it gets too bad, just stay with Tosh."

Ianto smiled to himself.

_Bloody Harkness playing with my emotions._

"Fine, but I doubt that it will come to that. I'll be home around eleven."

He hung up before he could let slip the 'love you.'

Tosh poked her head around the corner.

"Ianto? Was that the HUB, do we need to come in?"

He shook his head to clear it.

"No, just Jack, apparently it's supposed to snow tonight. He wanted me to stay here if it did ."

Ianto shrugged before pouring the two mugs of coffee, and Tosh smiled.

"Come on then, lets get everything wrapped, so you can get home."


	4. Chapter 4

The pair sprawled out on the floor, coats and shoes discarded, sleeves rolled up.

Ianto had removed his tie and untucked his shirt.

Tosh couldn't help but admire the view.

_No wonder Jack likes him. Brains and beauty._

"So Who got whom what."

Tosh questioned, pulling her hair back in a bun.

"Well I got Owen those gloves."

Ianto said, grabbing a pair of dark brown leather gloves from the pile of bags.

"Here, this box should fit them."

She handed him a pre-wrapped box with a lid, and he laughed at the wrapping paper.

Zombie Santas.

"Tosh, that is a little mean don't ya think?"

She simply shrugged.

Ianto wrapped the gloves in it anyway, making sure that the ribbon was just perfect on the top.

"Maybe, but it's made up for by what's inside."

She held up a similarly wrapped box and pulled a rather expensive looking leather coat from the pile.

"Toshiko Sato! That is an unacceptably high prices gift for the dead man."

Ianto chided playfully.

"Well considering I got it for just 15 bucks, and his other one was eaten by weevils, I think it's a good deal."

Ianto shook his head softly.

"Ok, now for Gwen."

Tosh spat the word, as though she had a bad taste in her mouth, forcing Ianto to laugh.

"Yea I know, but we have to be nice, besides, she is not THAT bad."

Ianto pointed out, trying to stick up for the woman who he found himself loathing more than loving.

"Says the man who she shows the most injustice to on regular basis. Really Ianto you must be a saint."

His ears turned pink, but he dove into the pile of gifts anyway.

"Leather wedged boots. She broke that horrible pair of spiked heals chasing weevils, as much as I hated them, she moped for a week. I figured that these would last longer, and be less of a hindrance in the field."

He shrugged again, putting the boots in a plain red box before tying it with a blue bow.

"Very pragmatic Ianto. Nicer than me."

She held up set of monogrammed towels with Mr. and Mrs. Williams printed on them.

"Little reminders."

She quipped, and Ianto couldn't help but laugh.

"Is that for both of them?"

She nodded.

"Yea, I had it done when you had disappeared, presumably to get me a new purse?"

Ianto shook his head.

"Nice try Tosh, but no. You have to wait till the party."

The technician let out an exasperated sigh before throwing her hands up in the air.

"Fine, what did you get Rhys then."

He held up an envelope and grinned.

"I managed to dig these up."

Ianto pulled the tickets out, letting Tosh examine them.

"Two tickets to see the six nations rugby match in the spring."

Tosh's brow furrowed.

"Isn't that in London?"

"Yep, and three days without Gwen or Rhys is something to look forward to."

Tosh leaned forward, punching Ianto in the arm.

"You sly bastard."

They looked over at the last two presents they had to wrap, Jack's.

"What did you get him?"

Ianto asked, and Tosh blushed slightly.

"Don't kill me ok?"

She held up a book, of all things, an 'Idiots Guide to Speaking Welsh.'

"Tosh!"

He grabbed her up in a hug, laughing hard.

"Not mad?"

She asked, laughing herself.

"That is brilliant. I don't think you could have done any better."

"Well you keep murmuring things in Welsh under your breath, and he keeps bugging Gwen to translate, he even asked me to set up a program on the computer for it. I figured if he really wants to know, he can learn the language himself."

She shrugged and wrapped the present up in a blue box, with a white ribbon.

"Are you just going to put a ribbon on the box or are you going to wrap it?"

"Wrap it, give me a few more moments to brace myself for the inevitable destruction of my emotional stability."

Tosh's good humor thinned.

"If you didn't want to get it for him, why did you?"

She watched as Ianto cradled the small mahogany box in his hands, absentmindedly spinning it in his fingers.

"I did want to get it. It felt right, in my heart, it felt like the perfect present, but now that I think about it."

Tosh nodded.

"Well all I have to say is, be true to your heart."

Ianto rolled his eyes, setting the box down on a sheet of silky blue paper.

"I hope you realize that you just quoted Mulan."

Tosh smiled, and Ianto gracefully drew the paper over the box, taping the sharp corners and fastening it all with a slender silver bow.

"Ironic huh. So is that it? Aside from our gifts to each other?"

Ianto nodded rolling back onto his heels.

"Yep, mind if I take some ribbon with me? I have paper, but no Ribbon."

She held out a spool of white ribbon and he took it gratefully, packing it in with the rest of the presents into his bag.

"Well I best be going, thank you for everything Tosh, it was great to talk."

He put his clothes back together, fastening buttons and tying on his shoes, before shrugging into his overcoat.

"It's my pleasure Ianto. Jack doesn't know how good he has it."

Ianto laughed and gave the slender woman a hug, be fore kissing the top of her head and heading out the door, strait into a wall of white. Tosh grabbed him from behind pulling him out of the sudden instant blizzard.

"Well it looks like you aren't getting home tonight then."

She slammed the door shut against the howling wind, before peeling Ianto out of his coat.

"Yea, when Jack said storm , he meant it."

Ianto mumbled, kicking off his shoes again.

"Mind if I crash on your couch?"

She laughed turning up the thermostat.

"The couch is far too uncomfortable, and short. My bed is big enough for two."

The Welshman laughed.

"Ms. Toshiko Sato, did you just ask me into your bed?"

She rolled her eyes in a very Ianto like why.

"Well I wouldn't want to encroach on Jack's territory, but seeing as how it's a blizzard out there, and you won't do well sleeping on that couch, yes, but JUST as friends, and If I wake up in any sort of compromising position, you will pay."

Ianto laughed again, and Tosh smiled at him.

"Come on then, I think I may have something comfortable here for you."

She rummaged through her closet, pulling out a set of men's pajamas that she had bought for Tommy.

"He never wore them, don't worry."

Ianto paled slightly, humbled by the gift.

"I wasn't, are you sure that this is ok?" He asked softly.

"Yep! Like I said, no funny business. And call Jack, let him know that you won't be home tonight, can't have him going into a panic."

Ianto nodded, taking the proffered pajamas and his cell phone into the bathroom.

He stripped quickly out of his clothes, folding them neatly before putting on the soft red flannel pajamas. They were a little snug, but not so much as to be uncomfortable.

He shrugged taking a picture and sending it to Jack.

"Staying with Tosh, too much snow. Found some red pajama's what do ya think?"

He hit send and washed his face lightly, sighing at the fact of not being able to brush his teeth.

Just as he was about to leave the bathroom, there was a knock on the door.

"Spare toothbrush under the sink Ianto. Toothpaste is in the drawer."

He smiled, locating the items.

"Thanks Tosh."

He set out brushing his teeth, when his phone went off in the pocket of his PJs, a text from Jack.

"Damn this snow! Ask Tosh if we can keep that outfit."

Ianto rolled his eyes and went to reply, but was stopped by another Text.

"Call me?"

That floored him.

Jack rarely calls- especially not twice in one day- and usually settles for a text here or there.

This had him worried.

Ianto walked out of the bathroom, dialing up the immortal before going to set on Tosh's couch.

"Jack?"

Tosh's head spun around, the fact that they were actually talking again and not texting was a really worrying thing.

"Do I need to stay?"

She whispered.

The Welshman shook his head, waving her away.

"Jack, hello?"

"Ianto, hey can I ask you a question?"

"Umm yea, sure, what do you need?"

The Welshman was worried, this was very out of character for the man.

"Well you know how it appears to be snowing, rather hard in fact."

Ianto rubbed his face and sighed.

"Where are you trapped Jack."

Ianto heard Jack sigh.

"What makes you think that I'm trapped somewhere?"

Ianto rolled his yes.

"It's you Jack, If you're not at the HUB, or my flat, then you're in trouble of some form or another."

Ianto heard Jack laugh, it was true after all.

"Well I'll have you know that I am in fact at the flat."

Did Jack just say THE flat, not your? Another time for that then.

"So I have three possible scenarios. 1) You got your self all hot and bothered waiting for me to get there, and are now horny with no were to turn. 2) You accidentally left the door to the flat open and there is now a snow drift in the Foyer. Or 3) The power is out, and the whole flat is freezing, and you don't know where the torches are, or the candles, or the matches for the fireplace, and are wondering where everything is."

Ianto sighed, knowing his luck it was probably all three.

"Ok, it is scary how accurate you can be."

_Bollocks, all three then._

"With a few exceptions."

_Oh boy._

"The power did go out. And I couldn't find the torches, I did leave the door open, don't worry I cleaned everything up. And well I did find the candles and some matches, so I'm currently sitting in a beautifully candle lit room, by a fire, and the only person that I want to be with, is not here."

Jack held his breath waiting for a response that differed from the stunned silence that he heard.

"Jack."

Ianto breathed.

At least, he tried to, but his chest seemed to be uncontrollably tight.

"You, really pick your moments don't you."

Ianto tried desperately not to let too many emotions fill his voice at once.

He shook his head Tosh was back in the room, staring at him curiously.

"Yea, that bad huh?"

He heard Jack's voice crack a bit.

"No not bad, just the one time I have no way of getting to you, you have to do that and go and be so bloody perfect."

He knew that his voice had reached that gruff stage when Tosh threw up her hands and brusquely walked out of the room.

Jack was equally as flabbergasted.

"Ianto Jones, I thought you would be mad?"

The Welshman sighed, lying down on Toshiko's short couch, his feet dangling over the end.

"Oh I am. But not at you, it's the bloody weather. I just hope for your sake that this storm lets up tomorrow so I can get over there."

Jack held in a soft growl.

This was one reason that he found himself loving the Welshman.

"And just what are you going when you get here?"

Jack asked, hoping for details, Ianto wasn't giving any.

"Showering, shaving, changing, wrapping Tosh's present, cooking your breakfast, making your coffee. After that I'll probably go to the HUB and make sure Myfanwy and Janet are going to be ok for the weekend, before I head to the pub for the party. Anything I miss, sir?"

Jack sighed, he knew that Ianto was right, that would be his schedule for the day, and he realized that that was his schedule on most days.

"You left out the part where we have a wonderful Christmas eve full of happiness and surprises."

The immortal quipped, trying to lighten the mood.

Ianto smiled softly.

"Yea, Jack, I would like that."

_At least he could dream._

"Tell you what Yan, I'll be over there at eight sharp with some fresh clothes, and we can go from there, OK?"

The Welshman grinned.

_That would be nice indeed._

"Fine Jack, but don't kill yourself getting over here, I would hate to have to explain your sudden resuscitation to the Cardiff mortuary."

Ianto heard the captain chuckle softly.

"You could say that it was a Christmas miracle."

Ianto shook his head before yawning, exhaustion settling over him.

"Well Christmas miracle or not I should probably go to bed."

"Your right, just don't do anything I wouldn't do."

The Welshman groaned.

"Jack, only you could add that amount of Innuendo into a conversation with one line."

Jack paled.

_Of course he would see it like that._

_Damn._

"For the record the only thing that I have done in that manner for the past year is you Ianto, not saying that you're a thing or anything I'm just saying I mean I know that we aren't-"

Ianto grinned to himself.

"Jack stop, it's ok. That is far more than I could ever ask of you really. But if you feel like keeping it up, be my guest. I like the idea."

The Welshman shook his head.

He really wanted to believe Jack, it's Christmas, might as well let it.

"More than an idea, but please don't feel obligated to do the same."

Now there was the meat of all this.

"Jack. It's you, has been since, well Lisa, probably will be for a while yet."

He couldn't believe he was having this discussion, with Jack.

_Just how late was it?_

"Anyway, Jack, I need some sleep, Night."

_Love you_.

"Good night Ianto, and it will most definitely be for a long time to come."

Jack ended the call, leaving Ianto wide eyes in disbelief.

_What the hell does that mean! _

He shook himself_. _

_Let it go, just get some sleep and deal with Jack tomorrow._

"Ianto, are you ever going to go to sleep? Its past midnight!"

He sighed, standing slowly before sauntering into Tosh's bedroom.

He leaned against the door frame, blocking the light from the other room with his figure.

Tosh giggled and snapped a picture with her phone.

"Are you photographing me?"

The Welshman inquired, shaking his head softly.

"Yes. I keep a scrapbook of all you guys, and Ianto Jones out of a suit is something that I DEFINATLY have to add."

She leaned back on the bed, burrowing into the comforter.

"Well get to bed! What time do you need to get up?"

She asked, her glasses hitting the night stand.

"Around 7:30. Jack is picking us up at 8."

She nodded, yawning and stretching out.

"Sounds good with me."

Ianto shut the door, leaving a sliver of light in the room, before crawling into bed.

As he slid under the sheets he burst into a fit of spontaneous laughter.

"What is so funny Ianto?"

Tosh asked, smiling.

"I think that this is the first time I have been a bed with someone other than Jack, in over a year, and of all people it's my best friend."

He shook his head.

"Not saying that it's a bad thing mind you. I mean if it wasn't for Jack, I would defiantly be taking advantage of this."

He groaned, blushing.

" Not to say that I would take advantage, but-."

Tosh laughed.

"I get it Ianto. It's good to know that someone thinks I'm attractive. Granted that someone is you, but still."

She poked him in the ribs, before yawning again.

"Night Tosh."

Ianto rolled over to face the door, before falling into a dreamless sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

The next morning Captain Jack Harkness woke up before dawn, dashing out the door to dig out the SUV.

Over three feet of snow had fallen that night, and he reckoned that he was going to need the extra time.

He took the supplies that he had gathered for the activities of the day, including Ianto's clothes, and carefully prepped the SUV for the treacherous Road conditions.

Painstakingly, he made his way to Tosh's apartment, the short drive stretched to hours by the snow and his own impatience.

It was nearly 8 o'clock when he finally reached the flat.

He trudged to the door, knocking once to no avail.

As discretely as he could, the captain used his own key to get in.

The first thing that struck him was that the place was immaculate.

Nothing was out of place except for the neatly folded pile of clothing on the couch and a bag of presents.

On the couch.

Where Ianto should be sleeping.

He silently crept into Tosh's bedroom, bracing himself for what he would find.

Opening the the door slowly, left him desperately attempting to to stifle a laugh.

Ianto was curled around Tosh, who had her hands pillowing her cheeks.

Her hair was pulled back behind her, while Ianto's was fluffed up in a cloud about his head.

His chin resting on her head.

It was so adorable to see that Jack snapped a few pictures with his phone, before pulling open the curtains.

As the bright light assaulted the room, the two of them groaned in frustration.

They both opened their eyes slowly too tired to become immediately aware of their surroundings.

As soon as they realized the way they had been sleeping, the two of them shot out of their respective sides of the bed, both blushing profusely.

"T tt Tosh I am so sorry, I must have rolled over in my sleep."

Ianto stammered, an unearthly shade of red.

Tosh laughed.

"It's ok Ianto. Just scared me is all."

Jack piped in.

"Well now, good to see that the two of you are awake. And clothed."

He caught the way Ianto blushed deeper, if that was even possible.

"It's Christmas eve! Come on, lets get ready for the day."

He clapped his hands and strode out of the room, a self-satisfied smirk crossing his features.

He heard Ianto grumbling something in Welsh and Tosh laughing at it.

_I really need to learn that language._

Ianto took the stack of clothes from Jack, noting that it was a pair of black jeans and a thick grey t-shirt along with his old leather Jacket.

_I'm going to look ridiculous._

The Welshman sighed, but he jumped into the shower anyway.

_Might as well face the day clean shaven._

Toshiko cleaned herself up in her spare bath, showering and combing and dressing.

Since it was a special occasion, she put her hair up in her worn wooden combs, sighing at the way they had aged.

Jack sat down on the couch, staring at the door to the bathroom that now contained his favorite Welshman.

He kept thinking of Tosh and Ianto's conversation at the Café last night, and couldn't help but wonder what Ianto had managed to buy.

He peered at the bag of presents, noting how one small shopping bag was unwrapped.

_Probably Tosh's. He thought. _

He waited until he heard the water running in the bathroom before going through the gifts.

The one in the zombie paper was defiantly Owen's and the big Red one was tagged, Gwen.

A little rugby Santa envelope had Rhys scrawled across the front, but he didn't see a present for himself.

There, at the bottom of the bag, a slender blue box wrapped in silver ribbon .

It didn't have a name, but the color said it all.

TARDIS blue.

He paused, making sure that the water was still running, before he teased off the bow gently and cracked open the box.

His breath hitching in his throat at what he saw.

He shut the lid quickly, knowing that looking at it any longer would bring him to tears.

He hastily re-tied the ribbon, before burying it back in Ianto's bag.

In that exact same moment, the Welshman chose that moment to come back out, dressed in such a manner as to make Jack's heart nearly stop.

Again.


	6. Chapter 6

"Easy old man, you picked it out. Can't say I see why, but if that is the reaction that I'm going to get then, oh yn dda."

He shrugged heading to the kitchen his wet hair still curling at the ends.

"Coffee?"

He asked and Jack nodded.

"Can I get the Welshman that makes it too?"

Jack tried, wrapping his arms softly around him.

"Sir, as much as I love when you hug me, Tosh has been rather camera happy as of late, and I don't know if i want pictures of us being all domestic plastered around the HUB."

Jack chuckled, nuzzling his face into Ianto's neck.

"Maybe I want to be a little domestic."

Ianto shivered.

Then the sound of a camera clicking, followed by a flash, and the two men separated quickly.

Tosh giggled.

"That makes two so far."

Jack raised a curious eye and while the Welshman groaned.

"You said that you had another picture, can I?"

He held out his hand and Ianto busied himself with the coffees.

Toshiko grinned dashing off for her computer.

Jack pulled out his phone to check the time, and Ianto caught sight of the background.

"You made me your Wallpaper, sir?"

His voice was impassive, hiding how well he liked that fact.

"Yea, it makes everything better to see my Welshman when I first open my phone."

The immortal froze then, realizing what he said, he could feel a blush trickling it's way up his tanned cheeks.

Ianto smiled, kissing his cheek lightly.

"Your Welshman, eh? I kinda like that."

He bumped Jack's hip with his own, before settling down at the bar with his mug of coffee.

Tosh came bustling in, her laptop thudding as it hit the counter top.

"I apologize, for how this may look, but I keep a digital scrapbook of everyone. The whole team and some of our favorite guests. A picture of Ianto, out of his suit was too good of an opportunity to pass up."

She flipped open the laptop, revealing an image of Ianto Jones, one arm above his head as he leaned against the door frame, the other resting on his hip.

The short shirt and pants left a stretch of skin on his side exposed, while the unbuttoned top button allowed for some dark curls to peep through.

His face was half in shadows, but his eyes gleamed silver in the dim light.

"Bloody hell Tosh! You made me look-"

"Absolutely gorgeous!"

The captain finished, managing to pick his Jaw up off of the table.

"I didn't do anything Ianto. This is unedited, I just took the picture and then went to sleep. The camera automatically updated it to my laptop, but that is you."

The Welshman shook his head and went back to the cupboards, grabbing the trappings for a light breakfast, while ignoring the banter of his lover and friend, as they stared at pictures of him.

"So any other pictures that you would like to share with the class? "

Jack quipped, trying to snatch the laptop from Toshiko.

"Not really, the scrapbook is something that I wanted to share with all of you guys, not just you two."

The immortal leaned in close, whispering into Tosh's ear,

"Can you please give me some small print outs of those pictures? You know, for the tin?"

Tosh gasped, staring Jack in the eyes for confirmation of the request.

She, like the others, knew that Jack only put pictures of those that he truly loved in that tin, often the ones that he married.

He smiled, nodding lightly as if in answer to her unspoken question.

Tosh slammed the laptop closed, cradling it to her chest and nodding profusely, before backing away and walking to her room.

"What was that all about?"

Ianto held a plate in one hand, slathering jam on the fresh pieces of toast.

"I asked her for a favor, I assume that that was a yes."

He shrugged, snatching up a piece of toast and taking an over sized bite.

"You know you're going to choke if you keep that up."

Jack smirked, glancing suggestively at Ianto's jeans.

"I've had bigger."

The Welshman chuckled.

"I really would like to say the same, but-"

He dashed away before Jack could smack him, laughing cheerfully.

"Come on, finish your toast. I bet poor Myfanwy is starving, and the roads are probably hell."

The captain paused, sipping his coffee before taking a bite of toast.

"Tosh, breakfast is ready, whenever you feel like joining us."

"One moment!"

He heard papers rustling and a crash.

"Tosh?"

"I'm fine, just dropped my purse."

The captain looked in alarm at his lover.

"That was just her PURSE? Good lord."

The Welshman shrugged.

"You have no room to talk. Your coat is almost as stuffed as her purse is."

The immortal pouted.

"You love my coat!"

Yet another eye roll.

"All I'm saying is that you don't get to judge."

"Fine. But I think that you'll find the contents of my coat pockets more intriguing than Tosh's purse."

Ianto sighed, barely hiding a smile.

"Why do I feel like every word you say is in an effort to get me in your bed?"

Jack grinned.

_But for some reason_, thought Ianto, _It doesn't reach his eyes_.

"So get to the HUB, feed Myfanwy and the weevils. Wrap Tosh's present, get me ready for the party, maybe squeeze you in there somewhere, anything I'm missing?"

Jack rambled, reestablishing the plan from last night.

Ianto poked Jack playfully in the ribs.

"I have to be squeezed in now do I?"

The captain leaned forward and kissed Ianto softly, letting his hand rest on the other man's neck.

"No, I will always find time for my Welshman."

Ianto smiled.

"Have I ever told you that I love it when you call me your Welshman?"

"Later."

Another quick kiss, before Tosh came crashing into the room.

"Ok, so I need to head to the HUB, a have a few things that I need to finish. Mind if I tag with you two?"

She was clutching a massive bag to her chest.

"That was the plan, Tosh, but I don't know if all of that will fit in to SUV."

Jack joked.

Ianto walked over to the door, sliding on the black snow boots over his black and white trainers, before slipping on his over coat.

"Eat your breakfast, I'll start the car and be back in a few."

He looked pointedly at the captain.

"Do you two think that you can NOT conspire against me while I'm out?"

"Yes, sir."

Ianto rolled his eyes, grabbing up the luggage of his and Tosh, before heading out the door.

"So when did you decide?"

Jack stopped, his lips halfway to his mug.

"What do you mean, Ms. Sato?"

Tosh nudged his arm.

"To propose. When did you figure out that that was what he wanted for Christmas?"

Jack blushed, trying to refute it, but he only managed a squeaked,.

"How did you- figure it out that that was what I, what I was doing going to give him for Christmas that?"

He was babbling, but he couldn't help it.

"The only people that you put in that tin of yours are those that you love, and frankly, I had a hunch that it was you sobbing in the corner of that café last night. Were you following us by any chance?"

His eyes went wide, and he struggled to keep from falling.

"No, no, well, yes, but no. I was in town, trying to sort my thoughts, and I saw that you were in the center, all feely and, well damn it, I realized that you and Ianto could be a couple, and I wouldn't be able to say a thing, because I never make him feel like he is more than a shag. So I shopped around, tailing you and watching how happy he was, and I sort of, I gave up. I went to that café, ordered some cider and a pastry to occupy my thoughts, and the pair of you come strolling in, Ianto looking dazed, and you comforting him. I wanted to get up, I didn't want to see the two of you being all coupled up in as romantic café at Christmas time, but then I heard him speak, and I just shut down. I was frozen to the spot, absorbing every word that he said, and it amazed me Tosh. It amazed me how could ever thing that it would be ok to let him feel like that. I love him Toshiko Sato, and I intend to keep him."

Tosh could barely contain her smile.

"I think you should tell Ianto that."

The very same man returned then, shaking the snow out of his hair before shutting the door.

"Tell me what?"

Tosh glanced quickly at Jack, who smiled.

"That I am going to be singing at the party, and so are you?"

Jack made sure to make it was phrased as more of a question, not wanting to anger his lover this early in the morning.

"Sure. Why not."

He shrugged, and the captain was more than a little surprised.

"Really? You mean it?"

Ianto wrapped his damp arms around his lover, giving him a freezing cold kiss on the cheek.

"Yup, but only after everyone is too drunk to remember."

The immortal grinned, leaning back against the door.

"Now, get dressed, I started the SUV, but the roads look bad, and its already near 10." Tosh laughed.

"Ianto, the party isn't until 6." Ianto nodded.

"Yes, but I have chores at the hub, and I still have to get this mess ready, if only you know how long that took."

He waved his hand over Jack.

"It wouldn't take so long if you weren't so good with your-"

Ianto's ears bloomed pink, as he stammered to quiet his lover.

"Jack! No. As much as I'm sure Tosh would love to hear about, that, I really do not want to resemble a Christmas ornament for the rest of the day."

The Welshman gave Jack a shaky smile, before helping him into his coat.


	7. Chapter 7

Jack finished fastening his coat and turned around, opening the door.

"Everyone ready?"

Ianto grinned at Tosh conspiratorially.

They pushed the older an out of the door, straight into a snow drift.

"Ianto!"

The immortal shouted, jumping up and patting his pockets furiously.

"What? Jack?"

He saw the panicked expression on his Captains' face, and was instantly concerned.

"Oh god, Jack, you didn't hurt yourself did you?"

"No no it's not that I just."

He located the small square in his coat pocket and let out a sigh of relief.

"Thought I had lost something there for a second."

He shrugged, shaking off the snow before linking arms with the Welshman.

"Shall we?"

Ianto nodded, walking with him to the car.

Tosh quickly snapped another picture of the two, before scurrying up and linking arms with the men.

"So, Jack, about singing tonight."

The immortal glance over at Ianto, who was fiddling with the radio dials while they waited for another car to cross the icy road.

"Having second thoughts, Yan?"

The Welshman shook his head.

"It's just, when you said you were singing too, did you mean it like a duet, or like one after the other?"

The immortal paused.

He hadn't even considered a duet, then again, Ianto's voice was rather deep.

"Duet, why? Would you rather do it solo?"

_Why does that matter?_

"Not really, I would rather we make fools of ourselves together, than separately."

Ianto laughed, and Jack feigned shock.

"Ianto Jones make a fool of himself? Well I never!"

Tosh laughed.

"So what song would the two of you sing then?"

The captain shrugged.

"I really don't have any idea, music from this century all sounds the same to me."

The Welshman peered out the window, his mind made up.

"Run."

Jack looked at Ianto quizzically, but Tosh's sudden intake of breath and wide eyed expression was enough.

Ianto glanced back a Tosh.

"There will be some screens there right? Like for Karaoke?"

"Yea, why?"

"This isn't a song that you are likely to know, Jack, and I doubt that you would be able to learn it in nine hours' time."

His resolve wavered.

"And you're sure that this is the song that you want to sing?"

Ianto grinned.

"Couldn't think of a better one."

Jack saw that Tosh was grinning now.

_Whatever this song is, it must be important._


	8. Chapter 8

The three of them pulled into the Hub, saddened to see that the snow on the Plass had already been trampled through thoroughly.

The entered the HUB through the garage, Ianto going straight to Myfanwy's nest.

"Myfanwy! Here girl! I brought you a present, a treat for Christmas!"

He pulled a thick bundle of chocolate bars from his coat.

"Look! Chocolate, your favorite, yea. Here girl!"

He tossed the squawking pteranodon the bundle of candy, laughing as she caught it by the decorative ribbon.

"That's my girl!"

He chuckled to himself, while Jack stood in his office, gazing lovingly at the young man.

"Need help with the Weevil's?"

Tosh asked.

Ianto just shook his head.

"No, won't take but a few moments, thank you though Tosh."

He left then, down into the vaults to finish his chores.

"So, Tosh, tell me, what is that song about?"

Tosh stopped typing, minimizing the window before turning to Jack.

"I don't think that I should tell you."

Jack raised an eyebrow at her.

She spun the chair back around, hastily editing the rest of her digital scrap book.

"You will find out this evening Jack."

He perched on the edge of her desk.

"Is it that bad?"

"Let's just say that you may want to save your proposal until after that song."

Jack returned to his office, shutting the door softly behind him.

Ianto meandered about the archives, trying to process everything that had happened in the past day.

His relationship with Jack had taken a veritable leap into uncharted territories.

All of the little comments and extra touches that the immortal had been dropping on him had not been lost.

Indeed they had simply pulled him through the emotional ringer that he had fallen through so many times before.

He flopped into a chair, burying his head in his arms.

"Get it together Jones."

The Archivist pulled himself upright, snatching a stack of paperwork from the corner of his desk.

The mindless task of filling out the forms was soothing, and he allowed his mind to wonder over his current predicament.

Obviously Jack was hinting at something more than just shagging.

His little quips of "Maybe I want to be domestic" were evidence enough.

But was he doing it because he wanted it, or was it because he thought that it was what Ianto wanted.

_Is that what I want?_

The Welshman envisioned Jack puttering around his flat in his pants, a plate in one hand and a drink in the other, while Ianto cleaned the kitchen and admired the view.

He saw himself walking home with Jack after a night of Torchwood, and the two of them curled together in bed.

He saw promiscuous mornings and sultry nights, and Jack being their the entire time.

There was no doubt in his mind that he wanted a domestic life with Jack, or as domestic as one could get with Torchwood in the mix.

_The question was then, is that what Jack's getting at? _

The Welshman sent a silent prater to whatever deity existed that this was so, and set out finishing his stack of paperwork.

Jack paced around his office, nervous about his plans for the evening.

He knew it was a huge leap to go from basically casual sex, to proposing marriage, but he had always been a take-risks sort of guy.

Right?

_But what if Ianto doesn't want that?_

No, he had said explicitly that this is what he wanted.

The immortal sat down at his desk, wracking his brain of the key to how to proceed.

_The song._

He fumbled in his desk drawers for his headphones, before plugging them into his computer.

A few quick searches and he had found the song.

The one Ianto had thought was perfect for the occasion.

Run, by Daughter.

Jack's eyes narrowed at the deceptively folksy intro cords, but the words were enough to break his heart and shatter his doubt.

He leaned back in his chair, shut his eyes, and let the song wash over him in waves.


	9. Chapter 9

Ianto surfaced a few hours later, a bit calmer and more sure in his future.

"Hey, Tosh? Do you have a moment?"

The technician was out of her chair in a moment, already leaning over the counter while Ianto started the coffee.

"Sure Yan, what do ya need?"

The Welshman rubbed the back of his neck with one hand.

Nervous.

"I was thinking, Do you think that I'm making the right decision?"

Tosh squinted at him, perplexed.

"What, using the hazelnut roast instead of the Columbian?"

He rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest.

"No, singing that song with Jack, I mean, between that and that bloody necklace, what am thinking Tosh?"

The technician sighed.

"That you are head over heels in love with him, that you really want him to know how you feel, and that you are not going to grab the RETCON candy from your drawer in the tourist office."

Ianto paused, surprised.

"How did you guess that one? How do you even know about that!"

Tosh smiled.

"I saw you hand them to the woman who walked in on you and Jack, err, 'dabbling.'"

Ianto's ears again tinted pink, and he was starting to think that if he kept it up, it would become a permanent color.

"Anyway, Yan, I don't think that anything you do will spook him right now. Not after you see your Christmas present."

Her words seemed to jolt the Welshman from his mood.

"Present! Tosh! I forgot to wrap your present! And I still have to get Jack dressed!"

Tosh giggled once more.

"I don't remember you ever undressing him."

The Welshman snatched the bag from the counter, and looked pleadingly at his friend.

"Do you think you can handle that?"

The technician nearly jumped.

"What?"

Ianto paled before blushing once more.

"Oh god, not like THAT! I just need you to go down there and help him pick out an appropriate outfit, and could you grab my white T-shirt while your down there?"

Tosh sighed, mocking the Welshman's signature eye roll.

"Sure thing. By appropriate you mean-"

"No clashing colors, the majority of his skin covered , no shiny fabrics, and please do not open the bottom left hand drawer."

He recited, pouring three steaming mugs of coffee.

The Welshman took the mugs upstairs, a slightly flustered Tosh following behind him.

He opened the door to find Jack leaning back in his chair, headphones on and eyes closed, the rims around them red.

Ianto stepped forward tentatively tapping the captain's shoulder.

"Sir?"

No response.

Slowly, so as not to frighten him, Ianto kneeled in front of his lovers chair, his hands resting on Jack's knees.

"Jack."

Slowly, the captain opened his eyes, warmth and something else flooding them when he saw Ianto's concerned expression.

"Did I fall asleep?"

He croaked, and the both knew that he hadn't.

"Must have. Come on, let's get you out of those clothes."

The immortal's eyes widened, and he laughed in mild surprise.

"Ianto! You've never been so forward!"

The Welshman sighed, standing up.

"Jack, it's time for you to get ready for the party, and Tosh will be helping with that."

The captain pouted.

"Awe."

Ianto held up a hand imploringly.

"This way you won't be tempted to delay the party, and I can wrap Tosh's present."

The Archivist insisted, placing a chaste kiss on Jack's lips.

"You're in good hands, that woman made ME look good."

Tosh blushed, and the immortal smiled.

"I know. I have the pictures."

The Welshman grabbed his mug of coffee off the silver tray, before quickly shutting the door.

The captain followed the technician into his bunker, before stripping out of his shirt and trousers, leaving on his pants for decency sake.

"So just you, and me, alone, in my bedroom, and I have every intention of getting naked."

Tosh simply folded her arms against her chest firmly, a stern glare fixed on Jack's eyes.

"I slept with your boyfriend last night."

She turned to the wardroom, leaving a totally deflated Jack pouting behind her.

"Let's see, blue shirt, blue shirt, blue shirt, blue shirt, Ugg."

Jack frowned.

"What?"

"Ianto told me not to let you wear blue, since he can't wear a suit, which there are plenty of in here."

She raised an eyebrow.

"Ianto's."

THe immortal shrugged.

"So, when did you move in together?"

Jack sputtered, his cheeks burning pink.

"We didn't he just keeps some suits here for emergencies, its easier on him, you know, if a Weevil or something destroys a suit, just to pop down here and freshen up."

Tosh rolled her eyes.

"And I suppose that's your excuse for your dresser at Ianto's."

The captain froze, shock written across his features.

"Holy shit! We moved in together! Tosh! How did I move in with him without knowing?"

The technician shrugged.

"Beats me, but you can settle that later, now, we need to get you dressed, before Ianto gets suspicious."

Jack nodded, rummaging through the seemingly endless sea of blue to find a silver-grey button up, and a blue under shirt.

"Acceptable?"

Tosh stroked her imaginary beard, grabbing a pair of black slacks and braces, and holding the outfit up to him.

"I doubt that Ianto could complain. Get dressed, and I'll double check you before I show you off, now go on, I have to give this to Ianto."

She held up the thick white t-shirt, surprised to see that it was a V-neck.

"Alright, I'll be out in fifteen."

She nodded, scaling the ladder back into Jack's office, where Ianto was tying a neat bow over a small purple box.

"Here is your shirt Ianto."

The Welshman smiled up at her.

"Thanks Tosh."

He stripped out of his shirt right there, and Tosh spun around, pink in the face.

She heard the archivist quickly rustle into the clean shirt.

"Sorry to surprise you like that, its just that grey shirt itches like crazy, its wool. I have been trying REALLY hard not to scratch."

Tosh was full blown laughing now.

"You are a riot out of those suits you know that right?"

The Welshman just smirked.

"Did you manage to get captain uniform out of his dress blues?"

Tosh shrugged.

"Mostly, he insisted on a blue undershirt, but other than that, slacks, a grey top, looks nice."

Ianto nodded, pocketing the box.

"Thank you. Now how about we get some paperwork done while we wait."

The technician frowned.

"He said he'd only be fifteen minuets."

The Welshman laughed.

"That basically means an hour, Tosh."

She nodded, heading out of the office and back to her desk to email the rest of the team a reminder for the party, as well as that picture of their illustrious Tea-boy.


	10. Chapter 10

It took an hour before Jack was satisfied with how he looked.

This was the night that he would propose to his Welshman, and he wanted to look spectacular, but not as stunning as the man himself.

_Never outshine the bride. _

He thought, but brushed it away, they were equals in this relationship_. _

_Though he does have the blushing part down. _

He grinned, finally pulling himself back to his office.

He found Ianto sitting at his desk, writing furiously on a stack of UNIT forms, leather coat behind him, brow creased in concentration.

Jack leaned against the edge of the desk.

"You know, most people don't voluntarily do other people's work. Especially on the Holidays."

"Well it is only Christmas Eve, and the person who usually does this work, has been primping for the past hour, so I figured I would be productive while I waited for him."

Ianto refused to look up.

"This man, so you wait on him often?"

Ianto shook his head,

" I waited six months for him once. I will wait for as long as he needs me too."

The immortal was touched, any doubts that he had for this evening were cast aside, as he drew his Welshman up into a bone crushing hug.

"Yan, how are you so perfect?"

Ianto grunted.

"Not perfect, just you."

The Captain pulled away, tilting the man's face up towards his, pulling him into warm kiss.

The Welshman deepened it, running his tongue softly over jacks bottom lip, before pressing into the kiss.

A cough from the door way found them separating, Ianto combed his hair back smoothly, before pulling on his jacket and dashing down the stairs.

"Keep it together till the party Jack. You can fall apart after the song."

The two met Ianto by the door.

He helped Tosh into her coat, then Jack, before opening the door for them to get to the SUV.

"Night Myfanwy!"

He called behind him, and smiled at the squawk that he got in return.

The three raced to the car in the freezing garage, before settling into the SUV.

A quick check that everyone was alright was made before heading out onto the icy roads for the hour drive to the pub.

A few moments passed before Tosh leaned forward from her seat in the back.

"Do you think that everyone will be able to make it?"

Ianto shrugged, playing with the buckle on his leather jacket.

"Owen can bloody walk, the cold won't affect him, and Rhys has had snow treads on his car since April."

A pause.

"Really Jack, I feel like a greaser wannabe in this thing."

Jack sighed.

"When we get to the pub, you can take off the jacket, but those jeans make your ass look great, and thanks to you changing your shirt, I get to peak at your chest hair all night."

Tosh giggled.

As the three of them pulled up to the pub, another light snow had begun to fall.

"Please don't let us get snowed into the pub."

Ianto prayed.

_I really do not want to be around Jack if this evening goes to pot._

"Me neither."

The captain muttered.

"As much as I love staying the night in random venues, I actually had plans for this evening."

He leered suggestively at his Welshman, who successfully managed to avert a blush.

The captain opened the door, holding it first for Tosh, and then for Ianto, peeling him out of his coat in the process.

Owen shouted from the booth the moment they entered the pub.

"Good of you three to finally join us, we were beginning to think you had all managed to get snowed into Tosh's apartment."

Ianto just rolled his eyes, pulling the bag of presents off his shoulder and tossing it onto the table that was marked for gifts.

"So, 'ave you ditched the suits entirely Tea-Boy?"

Owen jibed.

"Not intentionally, it seems that everyone is tired of them, as they keep forcing me into other outfits."

He gave a meaningful glare at Jack, who just grinned.

Gwen laughed.

"Oi, we don't need to know about your fetishes, though how Tosh managed the picture of you in those PJ's is beyond me."

_So it begins. _

Thought Ianto with a sigh

"Moving on, it's Christmas eve! Everybody grab a pint, except Owen, umm."

Jack felt suitably stumped.

"Have you tried evaporation?"

The Welshman suggested.

Owen's eyes lit up.

"That IS a thought isn't it!"

He dashed over to the bar, ordering a vodka.

The rest of the team grabbed their beers, Gwen and Rhys hastily downing theirs, while Ianto and Tosh sipped lightly, hoping to last the night with minimal damage.

"So presents! It is Christmas. How do we want to do this?"

Jack rubbed his hands together, eager to get Ianto his gift.

Rhys stood and sorting the gifts out for Owen.

"I say we finish the dead man's rounds."

He tossed a pile of gifts at the dead man, who grabbed the first one hastily.

"From Gwen and Rhys."

He opened the cheap paper bag to see a 'dead man walking' T-shirt.

"Really guys?"

The two of them just laughed at the gag , obviously setting the mood for the rest of their gifts.

Jack inwardly groaned.

"From Harkness to Harper."

Owen rolled his eyes, opening the cardboard box and laughing as he revealed a black jumper, with the molecular structure of the Weevil flu mapped out across it.

"This is nifty Jack! How long did it take Tosh to make?"

Tosh smiled and Jack huffed.

"I did this by myself, thank you."

Owen rolled his eyes, setting the jumper aside.

Owen chuckled.

"Nice wrapping paper Tea-boy."

The leather gloves elicited a slight gasp from everyone but Tosh, who smiled.

"They are reinforce on those fingers that are broken so you can wear them without the brace."

Ianto shrugged.

"Thought they could be useful."

The Londoner flashed Ianto a massive smile, slipping off his bindings and putting on the sleek black gloves.

"Thanks, these really are great."

Tosh coughed a nervous pink coloring her cheeks.

"Last present Owen."

"It's yours Tosh."

He fiddled with it on the table.

"I see you and Ianto wrapped things together."

He pointed to the paper, and she just smiled.

Untying the ribbon, to reveal the leather Jacket, one could almost imagine tears in his eyes.

"Blimey, It's just like my old one! Where did you find it!"

He was genuinely surprised, and more than a little overwhelmed.

" A bit of digging around."

She shrugged, but you could tell his comment made her happy.

He leaned over wrapping an arm around her in an affectionate hug and her cheeks flamed a deeper red.

"Me next!"

Gwen squealed, everyone repressing their snide comments for the sake of the holiday.

Rhys said, dropped boxes onto Gwen's lap.

"Alright love, here is your stack of gifts."

"To Gwen, from Owen."

She opened the paper, chortling at the contents.

"The audio novels of Agatha Christie?"

Everyone looked at Owen like he had gone crazy.

"I don't bloody know what you wanted for Christmas! I just took a random guess and came up with that."

He shrugged, taking another sip of his vodka, letting it evaporate on his tongue.

"Well at least it's something to listen to in the car."

Rhys pointed out, and Gwen shrugged.

"Thank you Owen."

She pulled up the next box.

"To Rhys and Gwen. Love Tosh."

"Monogrammed bathrobes?"

Tosh laughed, the lightness of it underplaying the ridiculous present.

"I seem to recall visiting your house one morning, and seeing Mr. Williams prancing about in the buff. Might want to use those, you know, when company comes."

Rhys just looked proud of himself, and Gwen chugged back another half of her beer, trying to hide her blush.

"To Gwen, from Jack."

The small box caught everyone's eye, it was the perfect size for a bracelet.

B_ut he wouldn't would he?_

Ianto made sure his professional mask was in place, as she unwrapped the slender box.

Gwen's laughter covered his relieved sigh.

"Are you trying to tell me something boss?"

She held up the leather banded watch.

"I'm not saying anything, just that it's set, and it works."

Rhys smiled at Jack, mouthing a silent thank you.

"Ok, so last is from Ianto."

She untied the ribbon, shrieking and snatching the boots out of the box.

"Ianto these are amazing!"

She held them up, hugging them to her chest like a child.

"I can't believe that you got these! They are my size, and real leather!"

She gushed some more, rocking the boots back and forth.

"I'm glad that you like them, your other pair were ruined, and those wedges won't get caught in cobblestones."

Jack smiled fondly at Ianto, wrapping his hand around Ianto's under the table.

_Always the pragmatic Ianto, getting things that are needed. _

Rhys pried the boots out of her hands, setting them down next to the table.

Owen glared playfully at Ianto who just smiled softly.

"Might as well get Mr, Cooper out of the way so Gwen can change into her bloody new boots."

"Alrighty then."

He pulled the modest pile of presents of the counter.

"From Jack."

Rhys pulled a thick book from the grey bag, and smiled.

"A new comers guide to Alien life forms. Really?"

The captain laughed.

"Figured you would like to learn a bit about what Gwen does."

Rhys laughed loudly setting the book down on the table.

"Thanks mate! What's next? Owen! No Agatha Christie I hope."

Gwen elbowed the dead man in the ribs playfully. Rhys ripped the paper off the box, pulling out a framed flyer.

"Owen, This is great! Look Gweny its signed by the whole Cardiff team!"

Gwen glowered at Owen.

"Oh Frog boy, you get my husband a perfect present, and I get Agatha Christy?"

The doctor shrugged.

" I like Rhys, he gets a good present."

She stuck her tongue out at him, eliciting a round of laughter from Rhys.

"Rugby Santa?"

Rhys asked, holding up the envelope.

He ripped the top off , turning it over as the two tickets fell out into his palm.

"What?"

He looked stunned, reading the of title on them over and over again.

"How did you get these! The tickets won't be on sale for another two months!"

Ianto was grinning now at the stunned faces of Owen and Rhys.

"The name Ianto Jones carries some major weight in the Cardiff tourism circuit. Those tickets are also reserved in your name, just in case you lose the paper copies."

Rhys jumped up out of his chair, pulling Ianto into a bone crushing hug, lifting him up in the air and shaking him violently.

"Diolch yn fawr iawn!"

Gwen collapsed into a fit of laughter at the pained expression on Ianto's face, Jack was having no more luck.

Finally Rhys released the poor man, punching him in the arm softly before grabbing Tosh's stack of gifts and handing them to her.

**Welsh: diolch yn fawr iawn: Thank you**


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note: This is just a wrapping up of the presents. I'm warning you that the next chapter will be a song fic.**

Rhys pulled the next set of presents from the table.

"Here you are Toshling."

She nodded thanks, before quietly opening the first box.

She drew an envelope out of the box, and pulled the pamphlet out with confusion etching her delicate features.

Jack cleared his throat.

"You said a few weeks ago that you loved the theater, and I couldn't think of what you could want to see, so I figured I would give you an I O U. Any play you want, and any number of tickets, my treat."

The immortal shrugged, and Tosh leaned over kissing him softly on the cheek.

"Thank you Jack."

"Ours next!"

Gwen squealed, sipping her third bear of the night.

Ianto leaned over to Jack and whispered.

"10 quid that she barely remembers any of this tomorrow."

The captain nodded, his hand gently squeezing Ianto's thigh.

"I'm not going to bet against that."

They found themselves peering longingly at each other, until Tosh's laughter shook them out of their daze.

"Do you two know what this says?"

She held up a blue t-shirt covered front and back with strings of binary code.

"Not a clue Tosh."

Gwen shrugged, she had just seen that shirt in a shop, and thought it would be something cute for Tosh.

"It's the lyrics to Rick Astleys, Never Gonna Give You Up."

The Archivist laughed, and leaned back in his chair.

Owen clapped his hands, applauding the hilarious situation and even Jack had to smile

"Gwen that is brilliant."

"You guys realize that that Joke is still used in MY time."

The dead man rolled his eyes while Tosh carefully folded the shirt back up setting it neatly to the side.

"Now before I start on either of you two's presents."

She pointed an accusing finger at both Ianto and Owen.

"I would like to know if it's going to bite burn, maim, or explode first."

Both the Archivist and the dead man looked at each other knowingly, before affecting false looks of mock horror.

"Why Toshiko Sato! It's Christmas!"

Ianto pleaded accusingly.

"We would never pull a prank on you at such a joyous time of the year!"

Owen added.

"I don't trust you, either of you."

She handed each of the men the other's box.

"Open them for me."

She commanded and the two of them looked in horror at the other, mortified at what the other may have done.

Ianto swallowed hard,

"On the count of three yea?"

Owen nodded, unsure.

"Sure."

They each untied the ribbon on each box, flinching as they lifted the lids.

When nothing happened they both looked down, seeing the contents of the box.

Ianto gasped, pulling out an intricately woven bad of silver and gold.

Tosh snatched the bracelet out of the Welshman's hands.

"Owen! This is gorgeous!"

She shakily fastened it over her wrist, before kissing the dead man squarely on the lips.

She pulled away, blushing profusely, as Gwen and Rhys tried not to stare, and Ianto leaned into Jack knowingly.

"I'm glad you like it Tosh."

He whispered, and if he could cry, Ianto was sure that he would have.

"So Tea-boy, these are what you got Tosh?"

He pulled out the antique Ivory combs.

Tosh gingerly took them into her hands, running her fingers over the delicately carved lilies set in the hilts.

"I figured I would get you something that represented you. Practical, pretty, and tough."

He smiled warmly at Tosh, not noticing how Jack was leaning into him.

"Ianto Jones, how do you manage to get everything right?"

The technician inquired, letting her hair out of her worn wooden combs before swooping it back up expertly in the new combs.

"I try." He leaned back in his chair, trying to ignore the looks that he was receiving from around the table.

"And then there were two." Rhys said, handing the two piles of presents to the lovers.

Ianto sighed.

"Might as well do this together then, get it over with."

Jack nodded, swallowing his nerves.

He picked up the largest of all his parcels, shaking it and looking expectantly around the room.

His eyes rested on Tosh, who just shrugged.

"Ok then, I'll just guess from the contents, considering you all used the same paper."

He gestured at the identical blue colored boxes.

_Tardis blue_.

Each with a white ribbon.

The only one that was different was the slender box with the silver ribbon, that he already knew was from Ianto, and that he was saving for last.

He undid the ribbon, revealing the Idiots Guide to learning Welsh, and jumped when he heard Gwen's snorted laughter.

"Oh GAWD, Jack learn Welsh? That'll be the day that the Weevils learn to speak!"

She was thoroughly drunk now, the immortal noted, but she had a point, he has been avoiding it.

"Thank you Tosh, I really will try to learn this infernal language, if only so I can understand what Ianto mumbles at me."

He nudged his lover softly, watching him go pink.

"My turn then is it?"

The archivist intoned, trying not to remember the last time he had uttered that phrase.

"I'm assuming that this is from Tosh as well." He held up the red wrapped case before carefully removing the paper, refusing even to rip at it.

"Before you ask, yes it is what you think it is, and no I'm not going to force you to share."

He held up the bank DVD case gingerly snapping it open to confirm it's contents. Carefully printed in Tosh's best handwriting across the disk were the words, "Cardiff Sings: Ianto Jones."

The Welshman blushed.

"How did you even get a hold of these, how many are on here? I didn't even know that they filmed me?"

Now everyone was intrigued, especially Jack, knowing how camera shy his lover was.

"Not only did the film you, but they recorded it too. So I took the liberty of dubbing the audio over the video, giving you twelve hours of high quality entertainment."

She beamed at him, and he nervously smiled back.

"Shouldn't this have been a present for Jack then."

She rolled her eyes, while the rest of the table just stared on, clueless.

"I figured that some of that you wouldn't want him to see."

Jack waved a hand between the pair, slightly annoyed at being left out of the loop.

"Hello, still here? Yan, what have you got on film that is private, entertaining, and potentially hazardous to me?"

The Welshman looked up sheepishly.

"For a time, every Saturday, I would go down to this Pub, for their Cardiff Sings open mike night."

Owen laughed and even Rhys and Gwen snickered, the thought of Ianto singing was preposterous.

"I missed being on stage, hadn't done it since University, and I needed something to occupy my time."

The immortal knew then when this was, and why it may hurt him.

He sang while Jack was away, and he probably sang about him.

"Apparently I was good at it, because they had me sing song after song, and even let me drink free when I advertising me they did, saying that helped business, never did use my name though. I still have no idea how you found these."

He asked Tosh how blushed, knocking back a drought of her barely touched beer.

"Well to be honest, I heard you sing one night. I heard of Cardiff sings, heard someone talking about this bloke with sad eyes and a great voice, went to check it out, and I found out that it was you. At first didn't recognize you. It was the night you sang Run."

The memory of that night flooded through him.

He had been wearing what had become his usual stage outfit, a nice t-shirt, linen jacket, clean jeans and trainers.

Nothing close to his usual suit.

He had sang his heart out, verse after verse, to teary eyes and roaring applause, before making a break for his house without a backwards glance.

"Well that explains where the tea-boy disappeared to. He was playing rock star at the pubs!"

Ianto carefully set the case aside, out of the dangers of anyone's beers.

Ianto pointed at Jack, trying to draw the attention from himself.

"Your turn, sir."

The Captain nodded ripping into the present that had to be from Gwen and Rhys.

He chuckled at the sight of the clock.

"Guess time is something we both are concerned with, eh Jack?"

Gwen laughed again, the volume attesting to her level of intoxication.

"That way you won't have to time your life by the coffee break."

He grinned at her, knowing that he had indeed come to set his life base on Ianto's coffee making schedule.

"Alrighty then, I bet that red one there is from Rhys and Gwen."

Ianto pulled a face.

"Jack they are ALL red."

the immortal smirked, patting the little red cube in his pocket.

_If only you knew._

Rhys acquiesced .

"He is right Mate."

Ianto sighed, again meticulously removing the paper from the parcel, much to the fury of his drunken counter parts.

"Can't you open the presents any faster Ianto?"

Gwen whined and Ianto gave an annoyed eye roll.

"Yes, but it's fun to piss you off."

That shut her up.

He finished his agonizing paper removal before opening the box and finding not one but three ties.

Two were absolutely hideous.

One being a dizzying lime green, and the other covered in little rugby players.

The middle one was nice though, and as much as he hated to admit it, he was pretty sure that it was the one that Gwen had picked out.

It was varying shades of grey, striped with the pink tone that Jack loved on him.

"Thank you guys, I can always use more ties."

He managed a warm and vaguely sincere smile at the couple, who were both too drunk to really care.

"That just leaves us with Owen's gifts to us."

The immortal leaned in closely to Ianto, whispering conspiratorially into his ear.

"And ours to each other."

Jack pulled back again pondering the nervous edge that had grown in Ianto's eyes.

He kept looking anxiously at the slender blue box on the table, as though he wished he could simply make the thing disappear.

Owen was watching Ianto's reaction to the captain's little comment, and the way he kept wishing that his present to Jack would simply melt through the table.

He had no way of knowing what was in the box, but whatever it was must be really big for Ianto to be so darn nervous.

_What did you do Tea-Boy_?

Ianto clapped his hands suddenly, jogging both himself and the others at the table back into focus.

"So, Jack what did Owen get you.?"

His falsely chipper tone did not distract either Jack or Owen from his reactions, but Jack conceded, hastily ripping the paper from the package.

Inside was a T-shirt, with the Torchwood logo on the front, and "If found, please return to the Cardiff Tourism Office." printed on the back.

"Owen, are you serious?"

Jack looked at the dead man incredulously.

Ianto couldn't help but laugh.

"Good thinking Owen!"

The captain turned to his lover, utterly confused.

"What are you talking about?"

Tosh wiped a tear from her eye stilling her laughter enough to answer.

"You die so bloody often Jack! Ianto has spent so much time finding you when you end up dead without one of us around."

"At least this way we might get a call."

Gwen snorted, the sound drawing yet another round of laughter from the team.

The Archivist leaned over, softly kissing Jack's cheek.

"Relax, it's just a joke, sir."

He patted Jack's knee, the tender action sending a warm blush crawling up Jack's cheeks.

_The only man to ever make me blush._

Jack smiled.

"Your turn Yan."

Ianto sighed staring down at the red paper that separated him and his undoubtedly embarrassing gift from the dead doctor_. _

_Let's get this over with._

"I really hope that I'm not going to regret this."

Owen grinned.

The Archivist tore through the paper, no longer bothering with preserving it.

He pulled out the red T-shirt, a loud chuckle escaping his lips.

"My office pet is a pteranodon"

Ianto read.

The print on the front was accompanied by a white washed picture of Myfanwy.

"Owen Harper, I think you've gone soft since you died."

Jack muttered, loving the smile that had found its way onto Ianto's lips.

"Thank you Owen, this is great, and just odd enough to be worn in public without arousing suspicion."

The dead man nodded, and Jack leaned close to the Welshman's ear.

"Yea but you'll arouse other things."

The immortal warned, his mind conjuring images of the Welshman in the red shirt accompanied by a pair of tight Jeans.

Ianto lightly punched him in the arm.

Rhys coughed loudly.

"Ok then, I guess that just means that your gifts to each other are left."

Jack watched as the Welshman turned an instant shade of pink.

"It looks like there's only one gift left."

Gwen pointed out, her speech slurring slightly.

Owen glared across the table at the captain.

"Christ Jack, did you forget Ianto on Christmas?"

The captain looked mortified, knowing that it must look like that with the only remaining unopened gift being from Ianto to him.

"No, of course not!"

He looked pleadingly at Tosh for support, and found her staring him straight in the eye.

"However, I know that Ianto here will back out of singing for us unless I hold something over him, so Yan. No present until you sing."

The Welshman pouted, the sight of which nearly made Jack melt onto the floor.

"Fine. But you can't open yours either then."

Ianto snatched up the box, tucking it into the pocket of his leather jacket.


	12. Chapter 12

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: The lyrics in bold are Ianto, while the normal ones are Jack. The song is Run by Daughter if you would like to give it a listen.**

"Tosh, if you would?"

Ianto prompted and the technician pulled her laptop out setting up the digital displays before the stage with the lyrics to the song.

The Welshman had no need for them, but he figured that Jack would.

"Are we using a sound track or-"

The bar tendered called Ianto over.

"Here lad. The pretty lass over 'ere said that you'd be needn' 'is."

The man handed Ianto a worn guitar.

Ianto nodded.

"Thank you."

"Merry Christmas, and if'n ya don' mind me say'n that be a fine bloke you got 'ere."

Ianto blushed, heading over the corner stage of the room.

It really wasn't much more than a corner segregated off by the lighting.

Two chairs placed facing caddy corner into the room, a screen mounted on the wall across from them.

He took a seat beckoning, Jack to join him.

The rest of the team scooted their chairs to see the couple, Gwen sitting in Rhys' lap and Tosh with her hand entwined with Owen's, though neither of them seemed to notice.

"Are you sure about this Jack?"

Ianto asked, the immortal simply smiled.

"I've always wanted to hear you sing."

He leaned in close to Ianto.

"And I want to know exactly what goes on in that mind of yours."

Ianto took a deep breath, steadying himself before strumming the opening cord of the song.

His melodic voice filling the air.

**While I powder my nose**

**He will powder his guns**

**And if I try to get close**

**He is already gone**

**I don't know where he's going'**

**I don't know where he's been**

**But he is restless at night**

**He has horrible dreams**

Jack gulped.

He had not been expecting such personal lyrics but it was his turn, so he followed the words on the screen behind Ianto's head.

So we lay in the dark

Cause we've got nothing to say

Just the beating of hearts

Like two drums in the grey

I don't know what we're doing

I don't know what we've done

But the fire is coming

So I think we should run.

The immortal was touched.

He had learned of Ianto's feelings for him earlier, albeit without the Welshman knowing, but he knew nonetheless.

Yet here was a song the said it all, written as a duet just for them.

Ianto didn't sing through the repetitive chorus, instead letting his talented fingers carry it through the notes on his guitar.

**While I put on my shoes**

**He will button his coat**

And we will step outside

Checking that the coast is clear

On both sides

**We don't wanna be seen!**

**No this is suicide!**

But you can't see the ropes

**And I won't tell me mother**

**It's better she don't know**

**And he wont tell his folks**

**'cause they're already ghosts**

Ianto let a single tear roll down his cheek.

The way that Jack's eyes were burning into his, filled with passion and pain and sadness and rapture to an extent that would have been painful if it wasn't for the song that was carrying his heart

So we'll just keep each other

As safe as we can

Until we reach the border

Until we make our plan

To run run run run

**Run run run**

Jack saw the lyrics and his heart leapt into his throat, the perfect words for him to say how he felt, so he sang them regardless of the prompt saying that they were Ianto's to sing.

Will you stay with me my love

For another day.

Cause I don't want to be alone

While I'm in this state.

Ianto was in tears now, but his voice betrayed nothing.

**Will you stay with me my love?**

**Till I'm old and grey.**

**I don't wanna be alone**

**When these bones decay.**

Jack pulled the small box out of his trouser pocket presenting the contents to his Welshman.

Gwen gasped, Rhys grabbing her into a tight hug.

Whether to comfort her or restrain her he couldn't tell.

Tosh started to cry silently putting her head on Owen's shoulder as he softly stroked her hair.

Ianto started to shake, his mind refusing to register the reality placed before him. He leaned forward pulling his own box from his jacket.

"Only fair that you get yours too, sir."

His voice was thick with emotion.

"Answer my question first."

Jack stated, his cocky tone turned tender.

"You never asked."

His hand had found Jack's pulling the immortal ever closer as they stood.

Jack shook his head, kneeling down before Ianto.

"Jones, Ianto Jones."

The Welshman rolled his eyes.

"Will you do me the honor of marrying me?"

The platinum band in the box shimmer softly , and Ianto pulled Jack up to standing height again.

"Of course you blithering idiot!"

He pulled his captain into a blistering kiss, lips crushed against each other in a cloud of passion.

Tongues not battling , but caressing in warmth.

Jack pulled away, his own teary eyes countered by his oversized grin.

He placed the platinum band on Ianto's finger, and it was all the Archivist could do to stare at the large ruby embedded flush with the surface of the ring.

He ran an appreciative finger over the stone knowing that this ring was more than symbolic.

The immortal pulled his Welshman into hug holding him tight until a small cough from his side brought him back to reality.


	13. Chapter 13

The immortal pulled his Welshman into hug holding him tight, until a small cough from his side brought him back to reality.

"You know, sir, that there are others here to, and that it's Christmas eve. Also, you still haven't opened your present."

Ianto managed to push the box in between his chest and Jacks, before Jack took the hint and stood back.

"Yes, sorry."

The captain was blushing again as he took the gift from the hands of his fiancé.

_Fiancé._

_That's going to take a while. _

He grinned, untying the silver ribbon for the second time that day.

"Before you start in on me for the whole jewelry thing I just want to point out that- mmpf."

Jack swallowed anything else that Ianto was going to say in yet another kiss.

He pulled back, the stunned Welshman staring at him.

"I don't know how you got this Ianto."

The immortal held up the pendant by its entwined chain.

"It sort of came to me really. I didn't recognize the inscription on the front, but it felt right to get it. You know?"

The immortal smiled.

He guided Ianto over to their seats around the table, noting quietly that the rest of the team were trying to give them space.

"The reason you couldn't translate it, is because it's in Boeshane. And the fact that I never added that language to the files."

Jack could feel Tosh's eyes bulging at that point, she always hated to be out of the loop.

"It's a Vidara Amulet."

Ianto nodded.

"That's what Clyde said about it, something about souls and halves, wasn't really paying attention."

Jack pulled his Welshman's hand out, palm up flat.

"It's said that these necklaces are forged out of time, by the ancients. Each one was made for a specific couple in time, each one personalized to the people whose souls fit together."

The captain placed the amulet in Ianto's hand, before placing his own palm over the top of it.

They both felt the necklace heat up, and a soft glow began to surround them.

Tosh and Owen were gripping each other tight now, just as Gwen and Rhys.

"It's beautiful Owen, just look at them."

The doctor had to admit, the couple surrounded by the soft glow of the apparently alien necklace had an eerie sort of beauty.

"Haunting."

Ianto felt the amulet break apart in his palm, but his eyes couldn't leave Jack's.

He seemed lost in the cerulean depths, noticing the ebbing flickers of gold buried beneath.

Jack blinked, releasing Ianto from his trance.

They looked down at their joined palms feeling the warmth cooling slightly.

"Now's the fun part. We get to see the inside."

Ianto just nodded, this whole thing was a bit too much, and he knew speaking was beyond his reach. They opened their palms the two perfect halves of the amulet each inscribed with a swirled pattern of two different kinds.

"Ianto, what does this say?"

Jack held up his half of the amulet, at least the half he felt compelled to have.

"It's in Welsh."

Ianto laughed, at the captain's irritated scowl.

"Glad that Tosh got you that book then."

Jack pouted.

"Please?"

The Welshman squinted, looking at the spiraled letters and biting back a gasp at the words.

"The man who lives forver."

Jack's grin broadened.

"Well I guess that that takes are of any confusion on who this part belongs to."

He moved to clasp it around his neck, and Ianto helped him, sliding the chain around his neck and clasping it in one fluid motion.

"So I take it that this one is in your language, cause I'm fluent in over 13 languages, and this isn't one of them."

The captain laughed, reaching up to stroke Ianto's cheek with his thumb.

"Well C3P0, it says-"

There was a pause, and Ianto saw yet another set of tears ready to fall.

"What Jack? What does it say."

The slight edge in his voice was palpable.

"The man who-"

Jack looked him in the eyes searching, and confirming it.

"The man who loves forever."

The immortal's voice cracked.

The Welshman smiled softly, his fingers brushing Jack's boyish bangs from his forehead before softly caressing his cheek.

"Yup."

All the while Tosh just watched, utterly moved by the events of the evening.

She could feel Owen's vice like grip on her hand turn to an absent minded caress.

"Go Tea-Boy."

The dead man muttered.

"What do ya think Tosh, twenty minutes before they rush off with little more than a "Merry Christmas thanks for the gifts."

The Technician giggled, playful smacking the dead mans arm

"Ten."

The doctor and the genius looked at each other conspiratorially, turning back to the happy couple just in time to see Jack clasped the other half of the pendant around Ianto's neck.

"Bloody hell, those two."

Rhys choked,watching the two men across the table sharing such an intimate moment in front of all of them. He didn't want to ruin their moment, god knows Ianto would never forgive him, and he had taken a shine to the young man, just as a friend.

"I know Rhys I wasn't expecting this either."

She whispered.

Rhys was torn on seeing the tears in Gwen's eyes.

He couldn't tell if they were of happiness for her colleagues or sadness at the loss of Jack, or simply the large quantity of alcohol making its way into her mind.

"Gwen, love, how about we head home. Tomorrow is Christmas after all."

He looked at his watch, it was already midnight.

"Or well today, and you're a bit tipsy you are."

She tried to protest, but the lightness of her head undermined her ability to do so.

"Gifts?"

She said cutely, trying to cover for her lapse in stability.

Ianto spun around, plucking them from the floor and placing them onto the table.

"I got them."

Everyone noticed the simple glow of happiness radiating off the young man as he grabbed a cloth bag and tucked all of the couples presents carefully in it, handing it to Rhys.

"So you're off then?"

Ianto said casually.

"Err yea, Gwen here is drunk and I hate to keep her out too much longer."

Owen stood, extricating himself from Tosh's grasp.

"You need a lift? I could call you a cab."

Rhys waved his hand dismissively.

"Nah, we'll be catchin' the bus, no Cabbies out this late and with this snow!"

Gwen bundled herself up in her coat, her face clear of any emotion.

"Congratulations you two."

She smiled and winked before leaning heavily into Rhys as they left the pub.

Ianto stood.

_"_Tosh, Owen, go home. I'll clean up here."

Tosh snorted, her arms crossed firmly over her chest.

"Like fuck you are."

"You just got engaged mate! Do you really think that we're just going to let you take care of picking up our mess tonight? Not bloody likely!"

Owen fussed, dropping Ianto and Jack's presents haphazardly into their bag in an effort to hasten their exit.

"No arguments from me!" Jack said leaping from his chair and snatching up the bag.

The older man's eyes were nearly burning with desire as he turned to Ianto.

"Mr. Jones, would you allow me the pleasure of accompanying you home this fine Christmas morn?"

The Welshman rolled his eyes, but held out the captain's coat for him anyway.

"Tosh, do you think that it would really be ok, I mean I can stay to help-"

She held up a hand, and waved it to the door.

"Go."

Jack held out Ianto's overcoat for him.

"Fine, but I owe you."

Ianto pointed purposefully at her.

"A spot as your grooms maid."

The Archivist laughed, leaning over the table to kiss Tosh on the top of the head.

"We will see."

He gave her one last appreciative smile before taking Jack's arm and walking out of the pub


	14. Chapter 14

Jack could barely contain his emotions.

They were all over the place!

One moment he was elated over finally having the man of his dreams, the next scared shitless over the prospect of commitment, of losing Ianto.

But it was too late for that fear.

Losing Ianto now would kill him just as much as losing him in 2 years as it would in twenty.

Ianto's hand found Jack's thigh in the SUV.

"You're thinking too hard, sir. Care to share with the class?"

Ianto's voice was sarcastic, but there was a deep cord of sincerity that opened the floodgates of the immortal's mind, as everything he had been think spilled from his lips.

"Well Yan, It's just, I don't know what just happened."

The Welshman looked shattered and Jack cursed his tongue.

"So you don't know why you proposed to me."

The flat calm that Ianto had adopted was more than enough to replace all other emotions with pure dread.

"NO! Ianto! No. I love you, don't ever doubt that. And the fact that I will have you waking up beside me every day for the foreseeable future is fantastic."

He affected the Doctor's accent on that word hoping that it would cure some of the pain in his lover's eyes.

"So what then? Jack?"

He was rubbing soothing circles his captains high now, trying to comfort him and sooth away the edge in his voice.

"I love you Ianto. I love you so much that it hurts. And I don't ever what to loose you."

Ianto sighed, squeezing Jack's knee before pulling away, turning in his seat to fully face is lover.

"Cariad, you can't live in fear of that day. I don't want to leave you, and as long as I have any say in the matter I won't. Ever. But we both know what will eventually happen And Jack I don't want you to be in pain every time we're together. I love you, and I will do anything for you."

_Even if that means giving you up._

Ianto though bitterly, absentmindedly stroking the stone on his new engagement ring. It hadn't been an hour since the engagement, and Jack was already having second thoughts.

The rest of the trip was made in silence, save for the Christmas music cascading from the SUV stereo.

They pulled up to Ianto's flat, the headlights cutting off with the engine, but neither man moved.

Jack turned taking Ianto's hands in his own before pulling them to his chest.

His cerulean eyes met with deep blue ones.

"Jones, Ianto Jones. I have never before felt like this towards any man, woman, or extraterrestrial being."

The Welshman smiled softly, only Jack could be dead serious about that.

"And I want nothing more than to be allowed to spend the rest of your life with you. That being said, I'm giving you this chance to back out now. No one is looking, and once you hear what I have to say you may not want me anymore."

Ianto wanted to smack the idiot for even thinking that he could ever want to say no, but he held his tongue, instead letting his feelings of love and encouragement pour through his palms and eyes and into those of his gorgeous lover.

"First off, I want to point out that you won't exactly be Having a pure partner."

Ianto laughed.

"Jack, I'm not exactly the virgin Mary, though something tells me that you knew that."

He teased, watching some of the tension leave his lovers shoulders.

"Oh. Yea. But I have been married before."

The Welshman nodded.

He knew, and that was something that had bothered him earlier, but not so much now.

"I will try to do right by their memories Jack, but, and this doesn't make any difference to me-"

He squeezed the immortals hands again, reassuring.

There was a pause, before Ianto spoke again.

"How many husbands?"

Jack cupped Ianto's cheek in his palm leaning in just a hairs breath from his lips before whispering.

"None."

The captain leaned in, lightly pressing his lips to his lovers before pulling back slightly.

"I've never married another man. Never really considered it with any of them."

"Not even John?"

Ianto whispered.

"No, not even John, they were mostly just passing shags. You, Ianto, you are not."

The immortal stroked the Welshman's cheek, trying to push the weight of his point into Ianto's heart, trying to prove himself to this man before him.

"Jack, I believe you."

He placed his hand upon his lovers before pulling him into a soft and caring kiss.

"Since we're clearing the air, I just figured I would tell you of my first wife."

The immortal's jaw fell open.

"YOU were married."

Ianto chuckled, shivering slightly in the rapidly cooling air in the SUV.

"I'll tell you all about it when we get inside, yea?"

The captain nodded, dumb struck.

He pushed himself out of the car, stumbling on a patch of ice and falling flat on his back, only to hear Ianto's voice chuckling at him from the other side of the car.

The captain attempted to right himself flailing around to stand on the ice, but to no avail.

The Welshman was there with him then, a broad grin on his face as he lent Jack a hand, pulling him back onto his feet.

"Symbolic isn't it?" The captain murmured, as Ianto tucked himself into Jack's side for the brief walk to the flat.

"Hmm?"

"No matter how many times I fall, you are always willing to pick me back up."

The Welshman smiled softly.

"For however long you'll have me."

The immortal pulled Ianto into a kiss, tender and loving and oh so different from anything that they had shared before.

Ianto leaned into it, savoring the taste of Jack's tongue as it made its way into his mouth. Jack pulled away, leaving a putting Ianto in his wake.

"Cocoa, story, then we can celebrate."

They stepped into the flat together, each helping the other out of their coats.

"I'll just go-"

"No Yan, It's about time I started doing something around here, can you trust me to make cocoa, just once?"

The Welshman nodded, plopping down on the couch and folding his arms behind his head.

This should be good.


	15. Chapter 15

**Author's Note: M CONTENT. Sorry.**

It wasn't ten minutes later that a very happy looking Jack came out of the kitchen with to steaming mugs of cocoa and a stupid grin on his face.

"Figure it out didja?"

Ianto quipped, sipping from the mug the captain gave him.

"Not bad Jack, maybe I should let you in the kitchen more often."

The immortal was beaming.

He loved pleasing his lover, especially on those rare occasions outside of the bedroom.

"So, about this wife of yours, what is that all about."

Jack questioned, trying to hide the slight jealousy in his voice.

"We weren't technically married, so don't go and get all jealous over there. Her name was Morgan. It was actually the night of her bachelorette party-in hindsight the fact that I went to the bachelorette party should have been a sign to me- anyway, we all got plastered and no one really remembers what happened. I woke up the next morning with a killer headache, a ring on my finger, and Morgan passed out in the closet. I was 19. I hadn't yet joined Torchwood, or met Lisa for that matter. We were both super mad, and scared to boot. Her fiancé, Frank, thought the whole thing was hilarious, until he realized that we had no idea where the chapel we had gotten married in was. It took us three days of following videos and tracking witnesses before we figured it out. Thankfully they understood the whole 'Best Friend fake wedding prank' thing, and nullified our agreement."

Ianto looked at Jack warily, unsure of his reaction.

He wasn't disappointed when Jack burst out laughing and pulled him into his arms.

"Ianto Jones, if ever there was a moment were it was questioned why I love you, that right there summed it up. Your bloody perfect in your imperfections!"

The Welshman felt the captain's laughter through his back.

"Jack, story time is over I'm almost out of cocoa, so this can only mean that we have-"

His thoughts were silenced by a kiss.

Jack had him pinned to the couch, cocoa laced kisses clouding his thoughts.

The archivist could feel his lover's hands caressing his chest through the thin fabric of his t-shirt.

He moaned, letting his head fall back on the couch as Jack caressed his neck with light lips and teasing tongue.

The captain licked a wet stripe up the Welshman's neck and along his jaw, pulling another moan from him.

"Jack."

Ianto breathed, his body shivering under the immortal's ministrations.

Jack chuckled, clamping his lips once more onto the Welshman's.

This kiss was ferocious in its intensity. Tongues waged war and teeth collided.

The captain straddled his lover's waist, pinning him to the couch.

Ianto's fingers scrambled for skin. They flung the immortal's braces from his shoulders, and expertly unbuttoned his shirt, before it too found it's way to the floor.

The Welshman groaned as his fingers came into contact with the captain's undershirt.

"Why do you have to wear these things?"

Jack smiled, pulling it off and taking the pause to remove Ianto of his own t-shirt.

"If they agitate you so much, why do you keep buying them?"

Ianto rolled his eyes, his fingers running up and down the sculpted plains of the immortal's chest.

"I buy them because you put them on the shopping list."

The captain's grin widened further.

"Do you always do as you're told?"

Ianto smirked.

"Most of the time."

Jack bent into his lover's ear, kissing the outside of it. Ianto hummed quietly.

The immortal let his lips wander. They marked warm paths across Ianto's jaw and down his neck, mapping the plains of his shoulder.

The Welshman valiantly fought the moans that were trying to escape from his throat.

One swift bite to his shoulder and the effort was lost.

The slight yelp that he made nearly drove Jack to the brink.

He wanted to draw this out, to make it last, yet the sounds come from Ianto were driving him mad.

He clamped his lips over the Welshman's once more, devouring the sounds that were made.

Ianto wormed one hand between them once more, managing to get his fingers into the waistband of Jack's jeans. His fingers made quick work of the fly and button, before his hand finally made purchase.

The contact of his cool fingers against the overheated skin forced Jack's head back.

"Sensitive are we?"

The Welshman purred, and Jack glared down at him halfheartedly.

In one swift motion their positions were flipped, with Jack pinned flat to the couch and Ianto laying on top of him.

He wasted no time in removing the immortal of the rest of his clothing, as well as divesting himself of his own.

Jack took a moment to admire his lover in the dim light.

He wasn't what one would call sculpted, yet the sinewy muscles curved enticingly around his lean frame. His skin was pale and scarred, marked by battles fought and won. Smatterings of dark hair trailed down his chest to his most prominent feature.

Ianto took the scrutiny in silence, watching his lover's eyes roam and memorize.

This was far from their first time, yet it felt different.

They were both seeing things with new eyes, and they both were going to be sure to remember this night. In fact.

"I wanna top."

Ianto stated flatly, his no nonsense tone deepened by lust.

Jack's eyes widened slightly, surprised by the blatant request from his normally submissive lover.

Instead of speaking, and scaring off this newly empowered Ianto, he simply nodded.

The Welshman leaned down once more, his lips colliding with the captains.

From there they moved, sampling his neck and chest.

He paid close attention to the Immortal's nipples, nipping and teasing them to blood red peaks, before sliding down the couch to rest on his haunches.

Like this- blushing, panting- Jack looked his absolute best.

The captain smiled at his lover warmly, before his eyes closed in pleasure.

Ianto had moved to Jack's cock, his teeth grazing over the engorged flesh. He flicked his tongue over the tip, all the while looking up at his immortal.

Jack managed to get a hold of the Welshman's hand, placing three of his fingers in his mouth while the Welshman worked his magic.

Ianto settled into a rhythm of slowly sucking and swirling his tongue around the immortal. Only when he felt that Jack was near did he stop.

Jack whimpered at the loss of heat.

The Welshman simply shook his head and reclaimed his fingers from the captain.

He rearranged Jack carefully, pulling his hips up and sliding a pillow beneath them for support.

Cursing himself, the Welshman groaned.

"Lube."

The immortal pointed to the floor, where his jeans were laying, and the Welshman quickly dug through them, finding the packet with a cry of triumph.

He ripped the packet open quickly, drizzling the slick substance over his fingers before placing a quick kiss to the tip of the immortal's cock.

With a reassuring smile at his lover, he slowly inserted a finger.

Jack hissed at the intrusion, but warmed to it quickly.

He nodded at his lover, who began to move the digit slowly.

A second finger joined the first, working together to find the immortal's prostate.

Ianto crooked his fingers, forcing the immortal to arch up with a yelp of his own as the Welshman brushed against the little bundle of nerves.

"Shit, Ianto."

Jack whispered,earning him a smirk.

A third finger began to work, hastening the process along.

Ianto was getting close now, the sounds of Jack unraveling only hastening the process.

He knew that if he didn't get started soon, he would be useless.

"Ready?" Ianto growled

The captain managed a nod.

He was far beyond coherent thought.

Ianto poured the remainder of the lube packet over his hand, sliding it thoroughly over himself.

"Yan." Jack breathed, his eyes boring into Ianto's.

The Welshman took the hint, pulling the captain's legs up and lining himself up with Jack's entrance.

He slowly pushed into Jack, drawing it out as the captain keened at the sudden fullness.

Ianto stayed perfectly still, letting the immortal adjust.

A few moments passed before the captain seemed to come to himself, and bucked up against Ianto, begging him to move.

The pace was slow at first, a gentler speed of shallow movement.

Soon, however, the immortal began to move with Ianto, forcing him to move in earnest.

And move he did.

His thrusts were deep and fast, each one pushing Jack closer and closer to the brink.

As Ianto neared his own climax, his movements got much more sporadic.

His thrusts grew erratic, and he realized that we was going to finish far too soon.

Sensing his lover's issue, Jack wrapped his legs around the Welshman's waist, pulling himself forward into a kiss. The sudden change in angle sent the Immortal over the edge.

He went rigid, clinging to Ianto as the Welshman poured himself into the captain.

The both collapsed onto the couch, Ianto splayed flat on top of Jack.

As their breathing slowly returned to normal, Jack gazed down at his lover.

"You should do that more often."

Ianto smiled up sleepily.

"This couch is ruined, isn't it."

The immortal chuckled, kissing the top of his lover's head softly.

"I'll get you another one for a wedding present."

The Welshman rolled his eyes playfully.

"We should probably get cleaned up."

The immortal wrapped his arms around Ianto protectively.

"It can wait until morning."

Ianto cast a baleful glance down at the state he was in, and then another at Jack.

"Fine."

The immortal chuckled again, pulling the blanket from the top of the couch down over them.

He felt Ianto snuggle into him, despite the stickiness of his skin.

"Goodnight Jack."

Ianto whispered softly.

The immortal sighed contentedly.

"Goodnight Ianto."


	16. Chapter 16

The next morning was met with what would probably be the most awkward encounter of Jack Harkness's life.

There was a faint tapping sound, followed by the scraping of a key in a lock, and one Rhiannon Jones sneaking quietly into her brother's flat.

The trail of clothing should have been a hint, it really should have, but the alarm bells did not go off.

As far as she knew, Ianto was single, he wouldn't have a lady friend over on Christmas anyway. Well, she was correct on one count.

Ianto was awoken by a scream.

He leapt up off the couch, Torchwood training overriding any thoughts of his physical appearance.

Instead of an intruder, he was greeted by a very red faced Rhiannon covering her mouth and staring wide eyed at the couch.

Ianto paled.

"Rhi! What are you doing here?"

He squeaked, reaching down and fumbling to wrap up in the blanket.

He glanced back at Jack, who had somehow managed to stay asleep.

The remnants of last night's activities were painfully obvious on the captain's skin.

Rhiannon tore her eyes from the scene on the couch and looked in horror at her baby brother.

"It's a bloke!"

She half choked, half hissed.

The Welshman sighed.

"Yes, He is a bloke. Why are you here?"

The woman shook her head.

"He's asleep. You slept with a bloke. Ianto!"

The Archivist ran a hand down his face, agitated.

He turned to the couch, nudging the sleeping immortal with one hand. He noticed that the Captain's breathing was shallower, and his eyes were slightly opened.

Faking it.

With a wicked grin he pulled the immortal off the couch, sending him in a heap to the floor.

Rhiannon jumped, shocked by her brother's sudden actions.

The Welshman toes Jack's side.

"Quit faking you big git."

The immortal stood up, his cheeks reddened as he half hid behind Ianto.

It was one thing to be naked in front of your lover's sister.

In some cases it was quite the experience. But there was nothing enjoyable about this situation.

it was another thing, however, to be naked when meeting your future sister-in-law.

"Err uh, Captain Jack Harkness."

He made to extend his hand, and then noticed the state he was in and stepped back.

"Your boss?"

The Welshwoman exclaimed.

Ianto groaned again.

This was not how he envisioned his Christmas morning.

At.

All.

He remembered the silver band that had comprised his gift last night, and figured that things could be any worse. Why not?

"Actually my Fiancé. But that's not the issue. What. Are. You. Doing. Here."

He gritted his teeth, angered and embarrassed by the whole situation.

"It's Christmas Ianto. I came over to tell you that Mam and Tad are having a Christmas dinner, and get you ready. I walk in to find you passed out on the couch after shagging your boss."

Ianto sighed, flopping onto the couch and glancing up at Jack.

The captain had fumbled into his completely ruined pair of pants in an attempt and covering himself.

He looked so lost and uncomfortable that Ianto burst out laughing.

"Jack, go clean up. I think I need to fill Rhi in, and you're doing no good fussing around in that state."

The immortal looked down at himself and grimaced. He opened his mouth to say something, but couldn't think of anything.

Gathering up the soiled clothes from the floor, he nearly sprinted to the bedroom.

The Archivist hung his head and chuckled slightly.

The Welshwoman looked at her brother, startled.

"What's so funny?"

The Welshman looked up.

"This!"

He gestured around himself.

"All of this. I hadn't planned on telling you guys about Jack, and here you seeing him in all of his morning glory."

The Welshwoman sat in the chair across from her brother, trying desperately to process all of the information.

Her brother was gay!

And engaged!

To his boss.

And they lived together.

In Ianto's flat.

It was all a bit much.

Ianto watched his sister carefully, as she absorbed all of the information.

He felt exposed, and anxious.

After a few tense moment the woman looked Ianto in the eye, her expression completely serious.

"Is he good in bed?"

Ianto gawked at his sister, ears blooming pink.

"You obviously saw the aftermath of this morning."

It was her turn to blush.

"Yea, you a top. Who would have thunk it?"

The Welshman rolled his eyes.

"I don't always top. We, err, share. This is a really uncomfortable topic to be discussing with you."

He gushed.

Rhiannon chuckled.

"When were you planning on announcing that you had a boyfriend anyway? Or a fiancé for that matter?"

Ianto chewed his lower lip, contemplating his response.

"We sort of skipped the whole boyfriend stage. We went from shagging for the past year and a half, with one date peppered in there. Then last night, he up and proposed."

The Welshman shrugged, the whole thing sounded mad on paper like that.

"And you said yes."

She stated, a smile tugging on her lips.

Her brother was obviously in love.

"I did, didn't I?"

He sounded amused, and a little awed. She waved her hands as if to say 'there you have it.'

"Come on then. Show me the ring."

He held his hand out, the ruby glinting slightly.

"Not your standard diamond."

Ianto smiled.

"Not your standard relationship."

She laughed a little. They sat their for a moment in amicable silence

"He has a nice bum."

Ianto giggled, the whole situation ridiculous.

"That he does."

Jack came out then, dressed in Ianto's t-shirt and-thankfully- his own jeans.

"Shower's all yours. I'll, uh, make breakfast."

He shifted uncomfortably in the doorway, waiting for Ianto to give him orders.

The Welshman nodded.

"Sounds good. Rhi, would you like to stay for breakfast?"

The woman nodded.

"Good, you can make sure that Jack doesn't set fire to the flat."

The captain rolled his eyes and went into the kitchen, leaving the siblings to giggle.

"Is he really that bad?"

Ianto grimaced.

"It took him nearly 20 minutes to make instant cocoas last night."

The woman's eyes widened.

Ianto nodded towards the kitchen, before retreating to ready for the day.


	17. Chapter 17

Jack stood in the kitchen, staring intently at the mess he had made the night before.

Torn packets of cocoa littered the counter, the cream was still siting by the stove.

He groaned, setting to work sweeping up the powdery mess, when the sound of stifled laughter filtered in from the door.

"Oh he wasn't kidding."

Jack sighed and hung his head.

He was painfully aware of how embarrassing this morning had been, for everyone.

He turned around to face Ianto's sister.

His future sister-in-law.

"Look, about this morning-"

She rolled her eyes, the gesture so much like Ianto that Jack nearly smiled.

"I should have called ahead. Honestly. What to grown men do in their own home is nothing to apologize for."

Jack smiled nervously.

"That being said, I do have a few questions for you."

The immortal's face fell.

Nothing was worse than the inquisition of a lover's family.

He had faced Daleks and Cybermen and psychotic ex-boyfriends with explosives.

He had fought in wars, been tortured, died innumerable times, yet here he was, nervous about chatting with Ianto's sister.

"Shoot."

The woman eyed him appraisingly.

"Age, Name, Rank, place of birth, intent."

Jack blinked, mouth slightly agape at the woman's militant questioning.

He reeled for answers that were plausible and provable.

"34, Jack Harkness. Captain. Aurora, Illinois, US. Making breakfast."

Her hard expression cracked slightly, but she still refused a smile.

"Aren't you a bit old for him?"

The immortal nearly laughed.

_If only you knew._

"A bit, I guess. He is way out of my league."

She finally smiled.

"At least you know were you stand. Now-"

She stepped forward, well within the captain's bubble of personal space.

Any other being and this would have been totally now he simply felt crowded, and intimidated.

She poked a finger to the captain's chest, and he squirmed, backing into the counter top.

"You are not going to harm my little brother, is this understood? If you have any intentions of breaking his heart then you best leave now. Because from this moment on, anything that you do will be a chunk I take out of your hide."

The captain swallowed, and nodded.

The fire in the woman's eyes striking a cord of terror that he hadn't felt since his youth.

"I would never do anything to hurt Yan."

The woman smiled again, and stepped back.

"Good."

As suddenly as summer storm she was on him, wrapping him in a bone shattering hug. The immortal could feel his ribs threatening to break as the woman shook him back and forth in her arms.

"Oh it's so good to see that Yanny has finally found him somebody. I thought he'd never get over Lisa."

She stopped rocking him to crush his face to her bosom and stroke his hair.

"You're good for him. He looks happy. Happier than he did with her. Then again you're probably a hell of a lot better in bed."

Jack was choking.

Half of it was because the woman was smothering him slowly.

The other was because of the candid way that she was talking.

A sudden cough rand from the door way.

"Err, Rhi? We don't need him dead, yea?"

The woman stepped back and blushed.

For the first time Jack could appreciate the family resemblance.

They both shared the same curl jet-black hair, the impossible eyes and deceving cheekbones.

Both pillowy lips and similar builds, though Rhiannon was a bit broader then her brother.

Ianto peered around the kitchen, taking in the mess and the state of shock that Jack was in.

It was painfully obvious that his sister had had words with the captain.

"I see now why you took so long making instant cocoa last night."

Jack's eyes widened.

"It was instant?"

The Welshman rolled his eyes, while his sister gaped in shock at the captain.

"I swear it's like you're still in the 1800's."

The captain froze, shocked by Ianto's casual use of his age.

Rhiannon's laughter drew him from it.

To her it had sounded like a joke.

"What can I say? I tried."

The Archivist shook his head.

"I honestly don't know whether I should kick you out or make you clean."

Rhiannon giggled slightly.

"This is just like the first time that Jonny tried to cook dinner. Nearly blew up the oven, he did."

The Welshman smiled, cleaning the broken mug and trash from the counter.

Jack retreated slowly, so as not to alert the Jones' to his actions, but a firm grip caught his arm.

"Nice try. You are not skimping out. Just because it's Christmas does not mean that you get to be lazy."

He squeezed the immortal's arm affectionately.

"I'll help you clean."

The Welshman started to sweep up the spilled powder and the broken glass, while Jack tossed out the cream.

Rhiannon opened the fridge, before quickly closing it.

"What do you two eat?"

The two men looked at her quizzically.

"What are you talking about?"

She opened the door wide, revealing the contents to it's owners.

Ianto grimaced.

The fridge was full of spoiled food, old take out and moldy cheeses.

"I'll take a guess that you don't eat at home often."

They glanced at each other coolly.

"No, no we don't."

She rolled her eyes, in a manner that solidified Jack's impression of her.

Just like her brother.

"You'll have to fend for yourselves I'm afraid. I need to get back to get the kids ready for dinner tonight."

She clapped a hand to her chest.

"Tonight! Yes, that was the whole point in my coming over. Got a bit distracted."

She glanced at the captain, who grinned.

She motioned for the Welshman to join her outside the kitchen, and he nodded.

As soon as they were out of earshot, Rhiannon's countenance fell.

She was somber and pleading as she spoke.

"Ianto, you really need to be their tonight. You missed last year, and Mam is worried."

Ianto nodded, ruffling his hair slightly.

He was nervous about going. Downright terrified if he was honest with himself. But he knew he had to go, maybe Jack wouldn't tag along with him.

"Yea, yea, I've got the day off. I'll be there."

Her eyes flickered over to the kitchen, and she let out a shaky breath.

"Him too. You might as well get that over with."

Ianto winced, painfully uncomfortable with that prospect.

"You know what'll happen Rhi. We both do."

The woman sighed.

"Tad can get over it. You know mam will just be happy that you found someone. Especially after Lisa."

That earned another wince.

"What about Aunt Marge, or Johnny? Do you think he'll be ok with me looking after the kids? I know that he's made some comments in the past-"

Rhi put her hand up to silence the Welshman.

"If Johnny says a word against you or Harkness in there than he'll have me to answer to. Do you remember Andrew Walker?"

Ianto's eyes widened at the memory.

He had been 10 and Rhiannon 15 when a neighborhood kid had started picking on him.

A few days of Ianto coming home bruised and bloodied had sent the girl into a panic.

She tracked the kid down and beat him senseless, ending it all by dragging him to his house and dumping him at his mother's feet.

The kid had to get stitches, and had a broken nose, but Rhiannon walked away scotch free.

No one bothered Ianto after that.

"You wouldn't do that to your own husband Rhi. I wouldn't let you."

The woman drew herself up taller and looked straight in her brother's eyes.

"You couldn't stop me. The point is, Ianto, that you need to get this into the open. Otherwise rumors will get around, and you know what Aunt Marge does with rumors."

The Welshman shuddered.

"Right. Horse's mouth and all that. Just, err, just make sure to warn the poor bloke yea?"

She looked at him quizzically.

"It'll be better the less people who go into cardiac arrest over this."

There was a smile in his voice.

"I'll make sure he knows, and behaves himself."

Ianto hugged her in thanks.

The smell of smoke began to fill the apartment, followed by a string of expletives in-what Ianto noticed-several different languages.

The Welshman grabbed the coats from the rack and tossed Rhiannon hers.

She slipped into it, heading for the door as her brother joined his lover in the kitchen.

He was greeted by the sight of Jack batting at the toaster-which was erupting in flames- with a kitchen towel.

The Welshman dashed under the counter for the fire extinguisher, quickly putting out the fire before dissolving into a fit of coughs.

He dropped the container and tossed the immortal his coat, donning his own in the process. They both quickly left the flat, coughing and sputtering.

"What the hell did you manage to burn in there?"

Rhiannon asked, looking intently at the captain.

"Ianto's toaster."

He said flatly, and Rhiannon burst out laughing.

Even the Welshman had to admit that the whole thing was hilarious.

"What's so funny?"

He demanded, embarrassed.

Ianto leaned against the wall of his flat, his breath coming out in short puffs of laughter.

"You! All of your skills and talents with the stuff we get at work. You're such a natural with all that. Yet five minutes with a toaster, and you nearly burn down the flat! Honestly I don't even know what possessed me to let you in the kitchen. "

He laughed again, eyes twinkling in the sunlight.

His laughter was cut short when a snowball it him square in the chest, knocking him off his feet with an

"Oompf."

Rhiannon laughed as her brother fell into the snow, the captain advancing towards him with another snowball.

"Merry Christmas."

He mutter, pelting the winded Welshman with a volley of snow.

Ianto staggered up and launched himself at the immortal, knocking him into a snow drift, and pinning him under him.

"Ianto! Let me up!"

The Archivist gazed down at the captain with a smirk.

His nose and cheeks pink from the cold, and his lips were parted from the exertion.

Jack leaned up and kissed him then, earning a snort and giggle from Rhiannon.

"I best leave you two be, shall I? Dinner is at 6. Don't be late."

Before Ianto could speak his sister had disappeared.


	18. Chapter 18

The two men clambered back into the flat when the smoke cleared.

Jack clicked on the TV, while Ianto managed to scrape together a meal from the cupboards.

They sat on the couch, side by side, enjoying the quiet morning that they so rarely found.

"So, it looks like I don't have the option of not coming, do I?"

Jack inquired after a few moments.

"I'm not going to force you Jack. Frankly I don't want to go myself."

The Welshman peered into his mug of coffee.

The captain felt his heart twinge, and could nearly imagine that the necklace he wore warming a touch.

"Are you embarrassed by, you know, us?"

The Welshman looked up, alarmed.

"NO! No, It's nothing like that. It's just. They don't know I'm-"

Jack grinned, squeezing his lover's thigh.

"Considering your sister's reaction to finding me on the couch I kind of figured as much."

There was a pause and then the immortal leaned to look at Ianto fully.

"You haven't been with anyone since Lisa, have you?"

The Welshman gave him one of his patented you-can't-be-serious looks.

"Considering that you shot her and then you snogged me directly afterward, one could guess what happened there."

Jack winced.

He knew that Ianto's comments no longer held the malice that they once did, yet he still could not help but hate how he had handled that particular situation.

The Welshman noticed his lover's reaction and placed a hand delicately on his arm.

"Shit, Jack, you know I didn't mean it like that. I was just saying that you're the only person I've been with since Lisa, bar when I had to snog that one alien for a case. As far as my parents are concerned, I was last engaged to an attractive FEMALE of roughly my own age."

Jack nodded, understanding.

"And now you're coming home engaged to an attractive male that is considerably older than you."

The Welshman nodded.

"By the way how old did you tell Rhiannon you were. I know she asked you."

Jack rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

"Erm, 34?"

Ianto smiled.

"Not a bad age. Not too young to be unbelievable, yet young enough so you don't look like a cradle robber. If Rhi bought it than the others will to."

He fidgeted with a stray string on his shirt.

"Yan, what is it?"

The Welshman sighed once more.

"What do I do Jack? Do I waltz in to Christmas dinner and be all like, 'Hey pawb, this is Captain Jack Harkness. We've known each other for a little over a year now, and we got engaged last night. Summer wedding, best man is a zombie. Expect alien interference and a memory wipe afterwards.'"

Ianto was standing now, his arms stretched out, imploring.

The immortal couldn't decide whether to laugh or sigh.

He opted to simply stand and hug the Welshman.

"We don't have to be engaged, you know. You can simply introduce me as your boyfriend, or partner. Whatever."

Ianto bit his lip, suddenly worried.

The immortal felt Ianto tense and began to rub soothing circles on his back.

"It'd just be for the night. Besides. it'll give me a chance to ask them for you hand and all that, be real proper with it."

The Welshman chuckled, and pulled out of the embrace.

Jack's idea worked well, so long as Rhiannon kept her mouth closed about the whole thing.

"That sounds pretty good to me. One thing though."

The Welshman crossed his arms and examined the immortal.

"What's that?"

"Your American Accent. I mean, you aren't actually American, are you?"

Jack smirked.

"Well, my colony was from the decedent country of America, does that count?"

Ianto rolled his eyes.

The captain affected a Scottish accent and leaned in to the Welshman.

"Or I could talk like this."

Ianto jerked back, his eyes wide and jaw slack.

"No. Don't, don't do that."

The captain frowned.

"Why? Is it that bad?"

Ianto shook his head, and chuckled breathily.

"No, it's good, eerily good. Scary good. But a Scotsman won't gather you anymore points than being an American would. "

Jack shrugged, dropping the false accent. He flopped down on the couch and patted the space beside him.

The Welshman rolled his eyes and sat down, his head nestled into the captain's shoulders.

"So we have what, 4 hours until dinner. What do you want to do?"

"2 hours."

The captain glanced over.

"It's a two hour drive, with the snow and all."

He nodded.

"That's still 2 hours to do whatever we want."

Ianto glanced up, and saw the desire in the immortal's eyes.

His hand wandered to stroke the captain's cheek, causing a hitch in both their breathing. Jack turned himself to the Welshman, latching their lips together.

The kiss deepened, leading to the captain pulling himself into Ianto's lap.

He nipped at Jack's lower lip, earning him a growl.

The captain ran a hand over Ianto's chest, but the Welshman pulled back.

"Maybe we could go to the HUB, get some paperwork done, visit Myfanywy."

The immortal looked as though his lover had just lost his mind.

"Please tell me that you aren't serious?"

Ianto schooled his features into a mask of utmost sincerity.

"I would rather go and work than spend the next few hours enjoying my engagement."

For a moment, the captain actually believed the Welshman.

He searched Ianto's eyes, forcing the Welshman into a fit of laughter.

"Seriously? Did you honestly believe that?"

The Captain sighed and rolled off of his lover, flopping onto the couch with a groan.

"What can I say? You're a very convincing actor."

"Why do I get a feeling that that's a turn on?"

The Welshman paused, his eyes closing.

"I forget, everything is a turn on for you. I should consider myself lucky that my sister walking in on us like that didn't get you up."

The immortal flinched.

"I'm not THAT insatiable."

Ianto quirked an eyebrow.

"You once hit on a 76 year old woman at Tesco."

Jack frowned.

"She was attractive! Did you see those lips?"

He rolled his eyes.

"I was too busy trying not to gag on her perfume."

"Jealous?"

"I'm pretty sure that I would win in competition."

"Are you sure of that?"

The Welshman held up his hand and leaned in.

"You aren't engaged to her, are you?"

The immortal grabbed his lover's hand and rubbed his thumb over the platinum band.

"I feel as though there are other forces at play in my picking you."

He cast a meaningful glance at the younger man's crotch.

Ianto rolled his eyes once more.

Suddenly, an evil thought surfaced.

"No."

The captain pulled a face.

"What? I was just complimenting your-"

"I know what you were doing."

Jack rubbed is hands on his thighs, feigning innocence.

"What do you mean?"

"You were trying to get me in bed before we leave."

The captain kind of glanced around, pulling his puppy dog eyes on the Welshman.

"Can you blame me?"

Ianto shook his head, leaning a hand against his lovers chest and ghosting his lips over the immortal's jaw, sending shivers down his spine.

"No."

He kissed the underside of his jaw, trailing the kisses across to is chin and then to his lips, stopping there.

"So does this mean that we get to move this is into the bedroom?"

Jack's voice was low, obviously aroused.

"No."

Ianto pulled back, a confused captain in his wake.

"No sex until after I deal with my parents. None. In fact, I think I'm going to go as far as to say no physical contact."

The immortal's eyes widened in horror.

"That'll keep you out of trouble."

Jack pouted.

"I can behave myself in public you know."

Ianto chuckled.

"Prove it."

He smirked

"If I do, will you make it worth my while?"

The younger man grinned.

"Chocolate."

The immortal's eyes widened and his mouth drooped open at the suggestion his lover bated before him.

The Welshman stood from the couch, straitening his shirt.

"I'm going to put some more coffee on. You, my dear, need to think about what you're going to tell my parents."


	19. Chapter 19

The car ride to the Jones' was spent with Jack fidgeting with his collar and Ianto glancing over at him nervously.

"We can still turn around you know. I can tell Rhiannon that work called or something."

Jack snorted nervously.

"You know as well as I do that won't work. Besides, we need to get this whole thing over with."

The Welshman nodded, flexing his left hand.

Already he felt naked without the little band on his finger.

"You just want your ring back."

The immortal quipped.

"You just want in my pants."

Jack chuckled, leaning back into his seat and glancing out the window.

"Do you think that they'll like me?"

The captain murmured, almost to himself.

Ianto glanced over once more.

"I'm sure Mam will. And I'll be lucky to get Aunt Madge off of you. You'll be a hit with the kids I'm sure."

He gnawed his lip, leaving the rest unsaid.

"Reassuring to know that I'll be a hit with the ladies."

Ianto shook his head, pulling up to a fairly large Victorian home.

It was lit faintly with fairy lights that reflected the falling snow.

Ianto twisted in his seat to look at his captain.

"Last chance."

Jack leaned forward.

"I'm game if you are."

The Welshman rolled his eyes.

"Kiss for luck?"

The immortal smirked, firmly kissing the younger man.

Ianto let himself fall into the kiss for a moment before the sound of a bell ringing brought him back.

"They're coming out."

He mouthed, switching off the car and hoping out quickly, no sooner than he had stepped out of the car he was met with a shrill-

"Ianto Gareth Jones!"

He bristled.

A short woman in her late fifties came bustling through the falling snow, her hair pulled back in a salt-and-pepper bun.

"Mam."

The Welshman said warmly, wrapping her up in a hug.

"I'm so glad you came cariad!"

Ianto chuckled.

The sound of a second car door closing drew the elder woman's attention upwards.

Jack stood by the car, his hair mussed and a nervous smile on his lips.

"Oh, Yanny, you brought a friend. Who is this?"

She demanded, more than a little curious.

The captain stepped forward, his hand outstretched.

"Captain Jack Harkness."

He said softly, taking her hand and kissing it lightly.

She blushed and giggled softly.

"Yanny, your friend is a real charmer."

Ianto rolled his eyes.

"Yea, believe me, I know. Can we get inside now, It's getting pretty nippy."

As if to emphasize his point he drew his coat tighter around him and glanced over at Jack.

"Alright dear."

She cast a fervent glance over her shoulder at the captain.

The trio made their way inside, only to be greeted by grabbing hands and the chanting of " Uncle Ianto!"

The captain watched his lover's eyes light up as the mass of children swarmed him, tugging at his coat and reaching for his arms.

He smiled as the Welshman shed himself of his trappings and scooped the two smallest kids into his arms.

There were still two kids clinging to his legs, and a third stood behind him bashfully, a blanket clutched in her hands as she glared at Jack.

One of the littlest ones tugged at Ianto's collar and pointed at Jack.

"Uncle Ianto? Who's that?"

Ianto's smile cooled a few degrees.

"That's Captain Jack Harkness. He'll be spending Christmas dinner with us."

The little girl grinned at the captain, sticking her arms out to him. Jack gaped at her, before pulling her into his arms.

"Hey their little one. What is your name?"

The little girl leaned back and gazed at him with emerald eyes.

"Annwyl Marie Marshal." The immortal grinned at her.

"How old are you Annwyl? "

The girl nodded.

"I'm five."

Jack spun her around in the foyer.

"Five whole years old!"

She giggled as they spun.

Ianto watched, beaming, as the captain played with his niece.

The sound of a cough drew all eyes to the living room doorway.

Their stood Rhiannon a giddy smile on her face.

She stepped forward and pointed a stern finger at the kids clinging to the two men.

"Go find someone else to pester ya little terrors."

They giggled and rushed off, the youngest ones clambering down from their grips to join the throng.

All left but the small one hiding behind Ianto.

"You too Mica. Go join the others."

The little girl just stood their, blanket in hand, her gaze still fixed on Jack.

"Go on then, It's rude to stare. Go find your brother."

She shook her head and pointed up at the captain.

Jack knelt before her, surprising both Rhiannon and her brother.

"What is it Mica?"

She tugged at his collar and bent to whisper in her ear.

"You love Uncle Ianto, don't you?"

Jack sat back, astonished.

He glanced over at Ianto and his sister, who were now joined by Ianto's mother and an elderly woman he guessed was Aunt Madge.

He gestured for her to come forward, and cupped a hand around her ear, whispering.

"Yes. Very much so. But don't tell anyone. Not just yet."

She pulled back and giggled, a gap toothed grin plastered on.

Jack rocked back on his heels.

"Run along then kiddo, go play with the others."

She nodded, running away, giggling.

Ianto watched the whole affair with a proud grin.

He knew that Jack had children-its impossible for him not to-but to be this good with them.

The Welshman peered around, to see the women of his family staring intently at the immortal.

"You there. What is your name?"

Aunt Madge barked.

The captain leapt to his feet and gave her his most charming smile.

"Captain Jack Harkness, ma'am."

He offered her his hand. Instead of taking it, however, she sniffed it, before humming and waddling to the sitting room.

Jack took his hand back and sent a questioning glance to Ianto.

The Welshman simply shrugged.

"Mam, do you need help with anything?"

The woman glanced between Jack and Ianto once more, before shaking her head.

"No, but I would like your friend here to join me in the kitchen. I need a fresh palate to check the pudding."

The captain smiled.

"Sounds great."

He followed the woman into the kitchen, leaving Rhiannon and Ianto standing in the foyer.

"You do realize what she's doing right?"

The Welshman shook his head.

"She's scoping 'im out. Used the same excuse when I brought Johnny home for Christmas."

Ianto rolled his eyes, yet still managed to blush.

"You think she knows?"

The woman shrugged.

"Who knows? Then again, after how good he was with Mica I wouldn't be surprised if she suggests the two of you hook up, just so she can keep him around."

That drew a laugh from him.

"What do you think Tad'll say?"

"What will I say about what?"

A voice came from the stairs, causing both siblings to jump.

"Err, about the guest I brought tonight."

The man looked his son over cautiously.

"Is she pretty?"

Ianto swallowed the lump in his throat.

Suddenly Annwyl appeared before them.

"Uncle Ianto! Uncle Ianto! Come see what David did!"

The girl gripped the Welshman's sleeve and near dragged him into the sitting room.

Never in his life had he been more thankful for a child's mess.


	20. Chapter 20

Jack stood in the kitchen, shifting from foot to foot.

Ianto's mother was bent over the stove, a wooden spoon working madly on what smelled suspiciously like fudge.

She glanced back at the captain.

"Just a moment dear."

He nodded.

"It's fine."

"So tell me, Captain, how do you know Ianto?"

The immortal rubbed the back of his neck and laughed slightly.

"We work together." The woman nodded.

"So is that where you met? At work?"

Jack smirked.

"Sort of. I was working. And he saved my hide by chance, but we never caught each others names. We ran into each other a few days later -by chance- and had a coffee. Then he ended up helping with another bit of work, and got himself hired."

He smiled warmly at the memories.

The effect was not lost on Mama Jones.

"So you're his boss then."

Jack's smile cooled a touch.

"Yea, though pretty much by title only. Ianto does most of the actual work."

The woman chuckled to herself.

"Sounds like him. Can't leave a thing undone. I remember when he was in school, he got himself called to the principal's office because he had been caught reorganizing the office's files."

She laughed.

"It was the most ridiculous thing! His excuse was that they were too inefficient. My 13 year old son! Most kids his age were getting in trouble for fighting."

She shook her head, and Jack grinned.

He could nearly see a scrawny young Ianto sneaking into the office to fix their paperwork.

"What about you Captain? Where do you come from?"

The immortal shrugged.

"Illinois. Though I've lived in Cardiff for quite a while."

The woman glanced back at him.

"How old are you?"

Jack swallowed.

"34 ma'am."

Her eyes widened slightly.

"34? You don't look near old enough for that."

He blushed at the compliment.

"Thank you ma'am."

`She rolled her eyes-Ianto definitely got that from her- and pointed the spoon at him accusingly.

"No more of this ma'am stuff dear. You'll call me Gwen. I'm not your superior officer or anything."

The immortal bit back a laugh.

"Yes ma-err-Gwen."

She smiled at him.

"Looks like we are almost done here."

She stirred the pot for a few more moments, before turning to him, spoon in hand.

"Try this."

The captain took the proffered scoop of chocolate, eyes widening pleasantly at the richness.

He found, however, that it was very difficult to swallow.

Mrs. Jones folded her arms over her ample bosom and watched as he tried desperately to rid his mouth of the chocolaty glue.

"Alright then, Captain Harkness. Just how long have you been sleeping with my son."

The immortal nearly choked.

"Oh don't look so shocked. Ianto isn't the only one who knows everything. And you two practically have 'shagging' stamped across your foreheads."

She circled the immortal, examining him as one does cattle.

"You're handsome, I'll give you that. And polite. A real proper charmer. The question is, what does Ianto see in you? He doesn't just go about fawning over every pretty face, and you'd have to be something really special for him to go bender at any rate."

Jack managed to work his way through the mouthful of food, just as the woman came to a stop before him.

"So? What have you got to say for yourself?"

The immortal looked her in the eye, unsure of how to respond.

"I-I really don't know."

He stammered.

This was not the sort of situation that he was good with.

Alien invasion?

Sure!

Brain melting parasite?

No problem.

Coming out to the future in-laws?

Oh god no.

"You don't know how long the two of you have been sleeping together? Or why Ianto likes you?"

She was staring him dead in the eye.

"I think Ianto should be here for this. I'm really not-"

She held up a hand, cutting off the immortal's hurried plea.

"Ianto will answer his questions later. I want to hear your side."

The immortal swallowed thickly,

"Ianto and I have been in a –umm physical relationship for nearly a year."

Her eyes widened, and she let out a shaky breath.

"Are you two serious?"

The immortal nodded.

"We've been kind of living together for a bit. A little at mine, a little at his. I live closer to work, so my place is more convenient at times, though his is definitely more comfortable."

He laughed a little, remembering his little bunker under his office.

"So a bit serious then."

Her posture thawed, relaxing from hostile to near motherly.

"Is that alright with you? I mean I know all of this may be a bit of a shock and all. I know he hasn't been with anyone since Lisa, and ,well, you know-"

He gestured over himself.

"I haven't got a qualm with it, so long as you treat him right. To tell you the truth, I wasn't all that fond of Lisa, God rest her soul. She was a bossy one. Had Ianto tied around her little finger."

The captain remembered how Cyber-Lisa had bullied the Welshman around, and shuddered.

"As for your being a man, well, I do admit that is a bit of a shock, but I always had an inkling. As soon as Rhiannon told me that Ianto's guest was a man I pieced two and two together. How she found out is a mystery to me"

Jack blushed vividly.

"It was an accidental discovery, I assure you."

The woman laughed warmly.

"Look. I'm just glad Yanny has found someone to love. But you're in for a rough ride with Richard. He's always been very firm on his stance concerning-well, you know. You're up against some tough opposition in that corner."

The immortal nodded again.

"Any tips?" He tried, giving his best approximation of a charming smile, despite the knots forming in his stomach. The woman shook her head

"All I can say, mab, is that you had better have a thick skin, and soft arms."

She turned back to her cooking then, dismissing the immortal. He made to leave the kitchen, but something stopped him.

A niggling sensation at the corner of his mind.

"One thing though."

He turned back to her.

"If you already knew about us, why didn't you say something in front of the others, or at the very least to Ianto?"

She smiled warmly.

"I didn't want to oust him before he's ready."

Jack nodded again.

That made sense, he supposed.

"But why question me?"

She laughed then, full and warm-like Ianto.

"To see my baby's boyfriend sweat a bit, as well as gauging just what was going on. Worked on both points."

Jack shook his head slowly, before turning to leave.

He needed to talk to Ianto.

Pronto.


	21. Chapter 21

The captain walked in on a fascinating sight.

Ianto was sitting in the center of a circle of children, each one was gazing up at him with fixed eyes as he regaled them with a story.

His hands wove pictures in the air, and his voice gave them life.

It took a moment, but the captain caught on to the story being told, and shuddered.

"There they were, the four of them, bound and bloodied. There was no hope of escape, no chance at freedom. They were to be the monsters' next meal. When, against all odds, the handsome hero arrived."

The kids cheered, and Jack leaned against the door frame, listening.

It was very rare for Ianto to talk about his experience with the cannibals, or anything for that matter.

Yet here he was, sharing the tale with a group of children, as if it had happened to someone else.

"He burst open the door, guns blazing. With every shot another monster fell. At last all but one were down."

Mica gripped her blanket tightly in her hands. David's eyes were wide, and the twins, that Jack had not been introduced to, were holding each had moved from her place in the circle to sit in Ianto's lap.

"Uncle Ianto?"

The girl asked softly.

"Why didn't he just kill the last monster?"

The sentiment was carried among all the children.

Ianto wrapped his arms around the girl softly.

"Because this monster was the leader. And the hero-"

Ianto glanced up at Jack.

"The Hero wanted to see him brought to justice."

David crossed his arms.

"Wouldn't it have been justice to kill him?"

The Welshman looked up at the captain again.

Jack stepped forward and knelt just outside the circle.

"Sometimes, David, what's right isn't always what you think it should be."

All the kids turned to the captain with a jump.

"Would you kids mind if I borrowed your uncle for a moment?"

Mica smiled at the captain, and the twins giggled to themselves.

Ianto's ears reddened slightly as he disentangled himself from the kid in his lap.

He dismissed the circle of children with a wave of his hand.

As soon as they were gone, he turned to Jack.

The Welshman could see the way that the immortal's brow was furrowed, and began to panic.

"What is it? What's wrong?"

The captain bit his lip slightly, trying to formulate a response

"I just had a very interesting conversation with your mother."

The Welshman groaned and scrubbed his face with his hands.

"She know then. Figured it out did she?"

Jack nodded.

"I have to admit, you take after her."

Ianto snorted.

"You haven't met Tad yet."

The immortal stiffened a bit, frightened.

"Your mother warned me about that."

The Welshman winced.

There was the sound of heavy footfalls on wooden steps, and the captain saw the oh-so-familiar mask of professionalism slip over his lover's face.

A very distinguished looking man in his early sixties appeared at the door, and Jack was immediately struck by the change in his lovers personality.

Where mere moments ago he had been weaving tales of adventure for children, he was now quite, stoic, nearly fearful under the gaze of his father.

Oh what a gaze it was.

Ianto's cool ice-blue eyes were reflected in his father's stony equivalent.

Jack saw a sneer forming at the corners of the older man's lips, and braced himself.

"This your guest, boy?"

Ianto went rigid, full attention to a superior officer.

"Yes, sir."

The immortal hid a wince.

Where the word had always been a term of endearment to him, here it sounded, hollow, painful.

The man turned his cutting stare to the captain, analyzing, dissecting.

"Hmmphf."

He grunted, and marched to the dinning room.

Jack let out a discernible sigh of relief, but Ianto simply swallowed thickly, two shades paler than normal.

"Yan? What is it? That wasn't so bad."

Ianto shook his head, pulling the captain out of his father's line of sight.

"He's saving it for dinner. He always does."

The immortal shrugged.

"Why is that so bad? I mean if he's the only adult that doesn't know save your Aunt-who strikes me as the type who doesn't care for much of anything- what's the point in fretting over it."

Ianto turned his gaze directly to his lover, his eyes now slightly haunted with fears and phantom pains of his past.

"He want's to make an example of us, Jack, for the kids."

The immortal's brow furrowed.

"What do you mean."

Ianto glanced back and flopped onto a the couch, Jack sitting right beside him.

"My cousin, Charlotte, married a man that Tad didn't approve of. Being as her father died when she was little, Tad had always been the father figure in her life. So when Christmas rolled around, she brought the poor man home for the holidays. Tad tore into him. Carved him up worse than the ham. Char was crying and –Ethan I think his name was- he was ten seconds from punching his way out of the room. They both left after that, I haven't seen anything of them in years."

He hooked his thumb in the direction that the kids had ran.

"Aunt Marge brings the Twins and Anwylld up because their parent's refuse to return."

"What was his problem with the man?"

Ianto bowed his head slightly.

"Take your pick. He was a journalist so no 'real job'. He was French, and come to find out, his sister was a lesbian."

The immortal shook his head.

"Those are all pretty sorry excuse to berate the guy. How does his sister being a lesbian effect anything anyway?"

Ianto shrugged.

"It was something along the lines of 'If you can't keep your sister right, how can you be expected to control a wife?'

Jack shook his head, disgusted by how purely archaic those ideals were.

"I've lived through the times when those ideals prevailed. I've dealt with his kind many time before. A good blow to the jaw and some words of wisdom-or a kiss-and they see things clearly. "

The Welshman rolled his eyes.

"I'm, serious. Don't say anything. Alright? Let him get his piece in, eat quickly, and then we'll head out. No need for a scene. And for heaven's sake Jack, don't punch him. He's still my father, and he's pushing 60."

The immortal gave a consenting sigh, biting back a retort about kissing his father.

It seemed in bad taste at the moment.

"I'll try Yan, for you."

There was a pause that should have been filled with a kiss, but Jack remembered the Welshman's rules, and strove to adhere to them.


	22. Chapter 22

The sound of a cough from the door way brought them to a very red faced Johnny.

"Dinner is, err, done. Mam sent me to get you two. I'm not interrupting, am I?"

Ianto shook his head, standing and walking towards his step brother.

"No, thank you though."

Johnny simply nodded, coughing slightly and walking brusquely to the dining room.

Jack stood and leaned close to Ianto's ear.

"Dinner time, dun dun duh."

Ianto rolled his eyes and punched the immortal's arm, who simply laughed and made his way to the table.

He was surprised to find each seat labeled with a name.

Ianto was placed at one end of the rectangular table, much to his surprise.

At the other end sat his father, arm's crossed and eyes narrowed.

To the Welshman's left sat a chair labeled 'Guest, while his right sat Rhiannon.

Her two children were beside her, and Johnny after them.

At Mr. Jones' left was a chair labeled for his wife, while his right held Aunt Marge.

The three children lined their way from her, little Annwyl right next to the captain.

The two men took their seats, glancing at each other nervously.

Jack had to admit, Ianto's professional mask was an excellent cover. To anyone but him, his lover appeared impassive.

He, however, could see the slight tightening of his jaw and the crinkles around his eyes, indicating tension in the otherwise emotionless facade.

The sound of running footsteps broke into the tension as a mob of children ran into the room.

David took his seat, and instructed his little sister to join him.

Mica smiled warmly between the two men before sitting.

Anwylld attempted to pull herself into the chair but succeeded only in running out of breath.

Jack glanced down at her. With a slight smirk he stood from his own chair, pulling Anwylld's out for her before scooping her into it.

"There you are ma'am."

He drawled, and the other children giggled.

Ianto's father gaped at the captain with wide eyes, his hands clenched into balls on the table.

Jack pushed the girl in her chair to the table, before taking his own seat.

He glanced over at Mr. Jones, who was glaring at him fiercely.

The twins climbed into their chairs, promptly beginning a sword fight with their table knives.

"River. Rory. The table is no place for sword fighting."

Rhiannon barked, the Christmas ham balanced carefully in her hands.

The children glanced at each other, and gingerly sat their knives down.

"Sorry Aunty Rhi." They quoted in unison.

The woman nodded, placing the ham on the table before taking her seat.

Aunt Marge and Mrs. Jones followed shortly with the rest of the dinner trappings.

Dressing and olives, cranberry sauce and rolls. A veritable banquet appeared on the table. Jack made a motion to begin filling his plate, when Anwylld's delicate hand gripped his on his sleeve. She gestured for him to lean down, before whispering in his ear.

" Great Aunt Gwen and Great Uncle like to say blessings before we eat."

Jack leaned up and nodded, grateful for the help of the little girl.

Ianto looked at the captain curiously, but said nothing.

Mr. Jones' voice boomed around the room.

"Mr. Harkness. Would you care to lead us in prayer?"

Jack whipped his head towards the elder Jones, and then glanced back at Ianto in a panic.

His Welshman's ears were tinged pink, but he held his hand out for the captain to take. Anwylld grasped his other hand, and they bowed their heads.

The captain's mind reeled.

He was by no means a religious man, and it had been nearly a century since he last set foot in a church for anything other than work.

There was an awkward pause, before he cleared his throat.

"Umm, Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for this meal, and the people that we share it with. Err, thank you for allowing us the, umm, the opportunity for our loved ones to come together to celebrate this occasion."

The Captain shook his head and stifled a laugh at the ridiculousness of his current actions.

He felt both Ianto squeeze and Anwylld squeeze his hands reassuringly.

"I pray that you watch over us in the coming season, and that you bless the meal before us. In your name I pray, Amen."

A rumbling of 'Amens' filtered from around the table, and everyone's hands dropped.

Ianto kept hold of Jack's for a little longer than necessary, before grabbing the basket before him.

"Rolls anyone?"

He asked cautiously, and Rhiannon raised her hand. He went to hand her the basket, before she leaned in to whisper in his ear.

"Tad's already started, be careful."

Ianto nodded minutely, sitting back and taking the dish of dressing passed his way.

Once the food was distributed, the eldest Jones stood, and grabbed a knife, carving violently into the turkey, his eyes trained solely on Jack.

The captain swallowed thickly, watching as the man sheered chunks off of the slab of meat.

The motions made his skin crawl.

Ianto surreptitiously moved his hand to pat Jack's thigh. The immortal relaxed slightly, knowing that Ianto was beside him.

Mr. Jones moved around the table in a circular fusion, passing out the savagely cut bits of ham.

When he got to Ianto, however, he passed over him. Jack as well.

The two men glanced at each other and knew that it had begun, they were in for it now.

He finished passing out the ham, and settled into his seat. Everyone at the table looked expectantly at Jack and Ianto, who simply sat there, impassive facade's in place.

It was Mica who finally broke the silence.

"Grandpa? Why does Uncle Ianto and Uncle Jack not get any ham?"

Jack tried not to smile at being referred to as uncle Jack. The elder Jones looked ruefully at the two men.

"Ianto can answer that one, I'm sure."

Ianto looked pleadingly at his father, desperate for the evening not to spiral into the fiasco that it seemed bound to become.

"Tad, please, can we not do this."

The elder man's eyes narrowed.

"Do what? Force you to admit to your sins?"

Ianto groaned inwardly, then spat through gritted teeth.

"What sins, exactly, are you referring to?"

The elder Jones's eyes squinted mercilessly into his son's. He leaned forward in his chair menacingly.

"Come along boy, spit it out. We can all see it."

Ianto sat up straighter in his chair determined not to be cowed by his father.

"I still don't know of what sin you're talking about Tad. Is it working on the Sabbath or cutting my hair from my temples."

Mr. Jones, stood suddenly, his hands slamming down onto the table, forcing everyone to jump. Annwyl let out a little shriek of fear, but was quickly silenced by a glare from the old man.

"Laying with another man Ianto Gareth Jones. You know how wrong it is, you know how much of an abomination that it is, yet you do it anyway. You come into my house and disgrace my family by flaunting it over us."

Ianto was rigid, every inch of him tense with anger.

Jack was frozen to the spot, he wanted to diffuse the situation, to calm his lover down, but the way Ianto was sitting filled him with fear.

After several tense seconds of silence, Ianto stood slowly, gracefully.

Without saying a word he left the room.

The only noise he made was the slamming of the front door behind him.

All eyes turned to the captain, now was equal parts stunned and infuriated.

He wanted to knock the old man down a peg, beat some sense into him and punish him for the pain he had caused Ianto.

His Ianto.

He stood, and with as much calm as he could muster, Jack spoke.

"Thank you, Mrs. Jones, for the lovely meal. I only wish that we could have enjoyed it. Rhiannon, it was good to see you again. It was nice meeting the rest of out as well."

He ruffled a hand through the tousled blond curls on Anwylld's head, before turning to the eldest-and still red faced- Jones.

"As for you sir. I only hope that you realize just how large of a mistake that you just made, Your son is the most compassionate and hardworking man I have ever met. He is loyal to a fault and a fierce fighter, I know. He's saved my life far more than I'll ever be able to give him credit for, and saved many a life in the line of duty. And you, sir, you just ostracized him. You just removed from your life one of Earth's greatest treasures because you could not see past your ignorant and old fashioned views."

Jack pushed his chair back under the table and walked to the dining room door, before spinning around.

"I love your son, dearly. He is the reason I wake up in the mornings and the reason I go home at night. I had every intention of asking you for your blessing on taking his hand."

He pulled the little red box from his pocket, drawing gasps from around the room.

Ianto's mother teared up, his sister grinned madly, and the children glanced at each other excitedly.

"Now I see that that was a mistake. I do not need your approval, I only need his."

With that the captain left the room.

He paused by the door, grabbing Ianto's coat as he noticed that his was missing, before rushing out the front door.


	23. Chapter 23

Ianto sat on the porch swing, Jack's greatcoat enveloping him completely.

The first thing that Jack noticed was that Ianto was curled up in it, his entire body blanketed against the cold, the second thing was that Ianto was crying.

His body shook with silent sobs, and his face shone with tears in the dim light.

The only thing Jack could think to do was sit beside the Welshman.

The swing rocked with the momentum of him sitting on it, apparently alerting Ianto to his presence.

He wiped his eyes quickly with his coat sleeves, before glancing over at Jack.

"That…could have gone a bit better. I'm sorry you had to hear that."

Jack shrugged, his hand moving to caress the Welshman's shoulder, before stopping midway.

"Yea well, I could have done a bit better at not being so obvious."

Ianto snorted a laugh and turned to Jack."

"I thought that you were behaving exceptionally well, I mean for you, that was perfect behavior. I'm thoroughly impressed."

Jack smiled, and resisted another urge to kiss Ianto's forehead.

The Welshman seemed to notice the struggle in his captain's eyes, and rolled his own in response.

"Suspension is up sir, Everybody already knows, there is no point in making ourselves any more miserable."

The words he didn't say were there, their meaning clear.

_ I need to be held._

The captain obliged, wrapping his arms around the Welshman and tucking his chin into Ianto's hair.

"At least I made a friend out of all this."

Ianto glanced up at the captain, confused.

"Annwyl."

The Welshman laughed softy, his ill-humor dissolving.

They sat like that for several moments, wrapped around each other with the snow floating down off the porch.

"I do regret not getting to finish dinner, the roll and dressing I was able to scarf down was not nearly enough."

As if to accentuate his point the captain's stomach growled noisily.

"I really could have gone for that ham. Why didn't he give us any?"

Ianto winced, the incident still fresh in his memory.

"It was his way of getting at his point quickly. He knew one of the kids would ask."

There was a pause, before Ianto spoke again.

"He probably figured that we got enough meat at home."

The captain sputtered a laugh.

"Are we going home? Or-"

The captain noticed the curtains twitching beside them, suddenly the door burst open and Mica came running across the porch.

She launched herself onto to the porch swing beside Ianto, who quickly untangled himself from Jack's embrace.

"Uncle Ianto! You're still here."

The man sniffled softly, smiling cordially at his niece.

David walked out, the twins poking out of the door behind him. He coughed, and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Look, it was pretty shitty for Taid to treat you like that. I just want you two to know that he's the only one that disapproves. I think you're good for each other."

Mica giggled.

"And I think it's cute." David rolled his eyes.

"The point is, it's Christmas, and we don't want you to go. We miss you Ianto."

The boy turned his attention to Jack.

"And we only just met you."

Rhiannon's voice came from the hall.

"Rory, River, Why on earth are you two standing their with your heads poking out the door. Get your arses back in here."

She pulled the two kids back into the house, only to see her son standing on the porch.

"David?"

She stepped out and noticed the three figures on the porch swing.

"Oh they found you did they?"

She shook her head.

"Kids go back inside Nain is serving the pudding."

They nodded, the twins scampering, followed closely by David. Mica leaned up and kissed Ianto's cheek before scrambling back into the house.

"Alright you two. We need to talk."


	24. Chapter 24

Richard Jones was sitting at the table, his hands pushing the cold food around on his plate.

He had expected to cow the captain into leaving quietly.

He had expected a silent acceptance of his ruling by his family.

He had not expected to be met with such fierce loyalty from the captain, nor had he planned for such backlash from his family.

As soon as Jack had left, Rhiannon had dismissed herself and the children from the table.

It had been his own wife that had stood from her chair, and leaned menacingly towards him.

"Really. You couldn't have just been happy for him? You had to ruin his Christmas. I thought that you had learned your lesson with Charlotte."

She had thrown her napkin ono the table and stormed from the room.

Aunt Marge had then added her piece.

"You doddering old fool. Your child was happy. I don't like it any more than you do but it was still no reason to bark at him."

She had struggled up from her chair.

"If you'll excuse me now I'm going to go burn the wreaths."

He had been left alone after that.

"Maybe I was wrong."

He thought and then scoffed.

"No. What sort of man would I be to cave under the pressure of the women in my family? No. That boy will just have to deal with himself."

Ianto and Jack scooted to enter side of the swing, and Rhiannon settled herself between them.

"I see that my kids have given you there thoughts on the matter."

Ianto nodded, his eyes scanning his sister for any sort of clue.

"David especially."

Rhiannon snorted a laugh, putting her arms around both men's shoulders, and pulling them to her.

"Listen. Dad is an idiot, as Jack so eloquently put it."

She squeezed the captain's shoulder.

"And I'm pretty sure he is the only one that is completely against the whole thing. Mam liked you, the kids love you both. Hell even My husband can tolerate you. So here is me, asking you two to stay the night. Please would you spend the rest of the holiday with us?"

Jack shifted in his seat, glancing over at Ianto nervously.

The Welshman nodded, uncurling from his seat, rising slowly.

"I'm going to say yes, This, but Jack will have to speak for himself."

The captain nodded, standing and pulling a gaining Rhiannon up with him.

"Free food, warm bed, adorable company? What's a homophobic old man in comparison."

He gave the Welshwoman's shoulders a squeeze, before stepping over and lacing his fingers with Ianto's.

"We will have to after though. I doubt the office will function without Ianto."

The archivist rolled his eyes, tugging the captain after him and into the house.


	25. Chapter 25

Jack and Ianto followed Rhiannon into the living room, surprised to see the family already gathered there.

Everyone was already poised for the traditional family Christmas photo.

The kids were fidgeting in their places on the floor, Mrs. Jones was sitting on one end of the couch, her hands folded neatly in her lap.

While Mr. Jones took up the opposite end of the couch, his arms crossed and a look of disgust filling his features at the sight of Jack and Ianto entering the living room.

"What are you two still doing here? I thought that I had made it clear that you aren't wanted here."

Ianto swallowed, his voice deceptively calm.

"You made it clear that you didn't want us here. The rest of the family said otherwise."

The elder man turned to face the group seated behind him, hatred and anger reddening his features.

"I thought I made myself clear! I am the man of this household As long as You are under MY roof you will NOT go against what I say."

The younger children flinched, Annwyl bursting into tears and running from her seat on the couch, strait to Jack.

The captain picked the girl up, holding her to his chest while trying to calm her.

He gave Ianto a look that clearly indicated his desire to remove the child from the situation, and Ianto nodded his approval.

"You don't get to dictate this family Tad."

Ianto faced his father now, his Torchwood training shining through his posture, his words.

"Just stop, and leave the rest of them alone. You will NOT tear this family apart because of your own opinion."

His voice was quiet, yet held the chilling and commanding power that silenced the room and drew each pair of eyes wide with shock.

"How dare you."

His father whispered, his face draining of color as his fist's clenched.

The older man lunged forward, his unexpected strike colliding solidly with the Welshman's nose.

Ianto dodged the second blow, coming around with a swift kick and a punch of his own, forcing his father to the ground while averting his next move.

"Get out."

The Welshman's voice was still calm.

Still in control.

While his father was scrambling for purchase on the carpeted floor.

Ianto didn't bother to wipe the blood from his nose, his entire posture used to shield his father's view of the family sitting in shocked silence behind him.

"Get out, before I have to force you out."

Mr. Jones staggered to his feet.

"What are you going to do, boy. Beat an old man to prove a point?"

Ianto drew him self up, settling into the familiarity of his fighting stance.

"I'm protecting my family."

His father sneered, and spat at him.

"They're no family of yours boy. Your kind don't deserve family."

Rhiannon stepped forward then, her initial shock at her mild-mannered brother's actions wearing off.

She stood beside her brother, her posture defensive.

Willing to fight.

Johnny took the other side of the Welshman, the twins poking there heads out from behind Rhiannon's legs, Mica behind her father's, while David moved in front of Ianto, his fists up, ready to fight.

"There is no family for you here."

Jack had bolted back into the room, Annwyl still in his arms.

He saw the blood trickling down Ianto's lip, the way the family had formed a horseshoe around the eldest Jones.

He took in the man's red and blood smeared face, his posture reading defeat and anger.

He moved into the line of sight slowly, staying just behind Ianto's right shoulder, one of the twins scooting aside for him.

As soon as Mr. Jones caught sight of the captain, he raised a finger at him.

"You. You're the reason for all of this. You're the queer bastard that turned my family against me."

Jack rolled his eyes, his voice firm and unwavering in the face of such pure anger.

"I prefer the term Omnisexual, if we have to use labels here, but no, this wasn't my doing."

He smirked, his little half smile further angering the elder man.

"I suggest you leave before you open your mouth and piss Ianto off any further. Your son is many things, and adept fighter is one of them."

He purposefully ran his gaze over the man.

"Though it seems that you've already discover this."

With the rustling of fabric, Mrs. Jones stood from her perch on the couch, her gate solemn as she approached the wall her family had made.

She slid past Ianto, her hand resting on his arm.

He relaxed his stance, straitening up none the less.

"Richard, leave. You can come back when you cool off."

Her voice was as controlled as Ianto's the same inherent power lacing each word.

The man shook his head, turning and storming to the door, a stream of obscenities shouted in his wake.

The door slammed, everyone in the room still tense.

Only with the squealing of tires on pavement did the relax, Mrs. Jones breaking down sobbing.

Ianto pulled her into an embrace, on the verge of tears himself.

He rubbed her back, his lips buried in her graying hair.

"Thank you mam. Thank you."

She smiled into his shoulder.

"Your my baby, Yan. He was out of line, and when he hit you."

She pulled away, brushing her hand down the side of his cheek.

"He was out of line."

Her fingers moved to inspect Ianto's nose, and he hissed as they grazed the bruising flesh.

Mrs. Jones yelled over her shoulder.

"Rhiannon? Be a dear and get the frozen peas for me? And a damp cloth."

Aunt Marge stepped out of her hiding place behind the couch, and sauntered up to Ianto, shoving his mother aside.

"Broke his nose he did."

Before anyone could stop her, the woman pinched Ianto's nose and flicked her wrist, snapping it back into place, and earning a pained howl from the Welshman.

"Damn that hurt."

He mother smacked his arm.

"Don't curse in front of the children You know better than that."

The man threw his hands up, and accepted the bag of peas from his sister, who proceeded to dab the drying blood from his face.

He settled onto the couch, the bag of peas pressed to his face, when his family began to clap.

He glanced up, startled, and saw the proud and grinning faces of his family members.

"What's all this then?"

Rhiannon knelt before him, her hand on his shoulder.

"That. Was. Amazing." She shook his shoulder.

"Who know that our little Yanny could fight? Or stand up to Tad?"

Johnny chuckled, his smile wide.

"You'd make a prize fighter!"

Ianto blushed slightly, earning a laugh from around the room.

Mrs. Jones wiped her eyes once more, smiling at her son.

"Family photo time?"

Rhiannon nodded.

"Everyone into place!" Rhiannon set up the tripod before dashing into the middle of the couch, beside Ianto.

Johnny wedged his way behind the couch to stand behind his wife, while Mrs. Jones resumed her place on the opposite end of the couch.

Aunt Marge lowered herself to the floor, where the twins settled to her sides.

David and Mica sat back to back in front of Ianto and their mother.

Jack smiled, trying to set Annwyl down into Rhiannon's lap.

The girl refused, her hands firmly latched around the captain's neck.

"You are family too."

She said, and he glanced at Ianto, silently begging for advice on what to do.

Rhiannon laughed, and Mrs. Jones smiled.

"You heard her captain. Set the timer and get in the picture."

He opened his mouth to protest, when Ianto smirked up at him, lowering the bag of peas from his face.

"I believe that that was an order, sir."

Jack felt his neck flush pink, but nodded, racing to the old camera and setting the timer before scooting in behind Ianto, Annwyl still attached to his neck.

The clicking began.

"Everyone say cheese!"

Smiles spread their way over the faces of everyone in the room, and the bright flash of the camera left everyone seeing spots and rubbing their eyes.

Everyone relaxed after that, the painful tension gone with Mr. Jones.

Presents were opened to the squealing delight of the children, stories exchanged and future plans made.

Jack reveled in the normalcy of it all.

Of spending the holiday with family.

As the night wore on member after member retired to their rooms.

Soon all that was left was Mrs. Jones, Ianto and Jack.

The captain stood and stretched, a yawn clawing its way from his mouth.

"We should probably head out. It really is late."

The woman shook her head.

"You're staying right here tonight. Yan's room is still made up. You can head out in the morning."

Ianto yawned, wanting to protest, but completely incapable of it.

"Alright. I still remember where it is."

He stood, stepping over the discarded paper wrappers and crushed boxes to kiss his mother's cheek.

"Night mam."

Jack nodded at her.

"Goodnight Mrs. Jones."

The woman smiled.

"Night captain."

As he walked past her, the woman smacked his butt, earning a shocked yelp from the captain and a chuckle from the Welshman.

"And it's Gwen to you."

Jack nodded, blushing, and followed Ianto up the steps.


	26. Chapter 26

A flight of stairs and a surprisingly long hallway later, Ianto braced his back against a door, his features tinged pink.

"Alright. So, this is my room. Umm-"

Jack smirked.,

"Yan, you do realize I've seen you naked, utterly wrecked in the throes of ecstasy. What could possibly be behind that-"

An eye roll at the first had led to the Welshman pushing open the door, Effectively silencing the captain.

The room was absolutely nothing like what he had invisioned.

In place of neat and orderly pictures on organized shelves were posters and ads of metal and rock bands.

The items on the chaotic shelves were not trophies and certificates, but volume after volume of classic novels, stacks of various cd's and tapes.

Jack took in the sight of a giant sound system taking up much of one wall.

Closer inspection found that it wasnltone, but half dozen systems Frankensteined together.

Ianto watched the immortals reaction carefully, the shock woven across his features more than a little disconcerting.

"Yea, it's a bit of a mess, I know, but-"

Jack spun in a slow circle, taking in the whole of the room, before stopping to stare the Welshman in the eye.

"Jones, Ianto Jones. You are a lot of things, but Angsty teenage audiophile is not what I would have pegged you for."

The blush already dusting his cheeks deepened.

"Well I wouldn't put it quite like that."

The captain squinted at the far wall.

"I'll bet-"

He reached the wall, his finger's trailing it until the felt a crease in the layer of posters.

With a tug, he managed to crack open the long forgotten closet, exposing shelves filled with tattered denim and dark colored clothing.

"Jack seriously it's late shouldn't we go on to-"

The immortals fingers found a black leather journal buried beneath a stack of shirts.

"Huzzah!"

"Honestly Jack, You may have been alive for the middle Ages but you dont't-"

He caught sight of what the captain was holding, and lunged forward.

"Gimme that."

The immortal ducked and dodged the Welshman, using the man's own momentum against him as he slung him unto the bed.

Ianto lay there, breathless, his face a mask of complete and utter consternation.

Jack cracked open the front cover, the worn leather giving way easily.

"Don't you dare-"

"Sunk in the turgid muck  
I keel and squat in foot long thrusts  
Toward the only place I feel no shame,  
Or bidden by the buzzing stare  
That cuts across the surface of the stagnant swamp."

Ianto covered his blood red cheeks with his hands.

"Please stop reading that. I wrote it when I was 16 and i'd really rather you not have something else to hand over my head at work."

The captain flopped onto the bed beside his Welshman, his face splitting into a grin as h skimmed page after page.

"I didn't take you for a poet Yan."

The archivist turned onto his side, frowning deeply at the word cover of the journal.

"I'm not nor have I ever been."

He snatched the book from the captain's grasp, earning him a surprised "Hey!"

"These were song lyrics."

A snap hung in the air as he slammed the book shut.

"And they are personal."

The cold look in his lover's eyes was enough for the immortal to drop the subject.

He rolled onto his stomach, a grin splitting his features as he thumbed the fabric of the covers.

"Flannel. And in plaid."

Ianto let out an exasperated sigh, burying the journal in another pile of clothes before pulling on a pair of his old pajama bottoms.

"Let me guess, it reminds you of one of your ex- whatever terms you use in the 51st century for sexual partners."

Jack nodded, turning is head around to watch the Welshman strip out of his day clothes.

"Yea, actually. I was in America at the time,Torchwood was investigating some bizarre happenstance or another in Indiana or Iowa, one of those 'I' states."

The immortal paused to lick his lips at the sight of Ianto peeling out of his jeans.

"I don't remember his name. Had the greenest eyes though, like emeralds. And his brother, let me tell you, that man was a moose!"

Ianto laughed, his mind conjuring the image of a burly man with long hair and antlers.

"My apologies sir, but as of today no more emerald eyes or moose men for you. Not for a while, anyway."

The immortal hooked his foot around the Welshman's thigh, tugging him forward.

"You better believe it Jones."

Ianto rolled his eyes, grabbing at a previously unnoticed bundle of cloth and tossing it at the captain's head.

The immortal flinched, flopping over with a frown as he playful rubbed the back of his head.

"What was that?"

"Pajamas."

The captain made to protest, but was met with a raised hand from the Welshman.

"In case you've forgotten we are currently in my parents home for Christmas in a room with no lock, where anyone and their child can walk in on us."

The face he received was accompanied by the captain's patented nonchalant shrug.

"Soo, unless you want my Dear aunt walking in on you in your pants, you'll put these on and get in bed."

The Captain wriggled out of his shirt without standing.

"You want me in bed, do you?"

Another eye-roll, this one accompanied by a sharp smack across his stomach.

"It's late and I need some sleep, Jack. A hell of a lot has happened-"

He held out his hand, the ring glinting in the dimly lit room.

"This not the least of it."

Jack nodded standing and swiftly switching into the pajamas's he had been given.

The two men settled into the full sized bed, both feeling slightly cramped in the marginally tightened space.

"Yan, I don't mean to be rude, but you've go one small-ass bed."

"Says the immortal who's personal sleeping quarters are a camp bed in a hole int the ground. Contained, might I ad, in a hole in the ground."

The immortal snickered at the description of his bunker.

"Touche'."

A few more moments passed as the wriggled around, trying to adjust to their new positions.

It ended up with Ianto snuggled into the captain's side, while Jack sprawled around him, his feet hanging off of the bed slightly.

"One last thing Yan."

A sleepy grunt answered him.

"If you were into all this music stuff, and had all these speakers, why didn't you just use headphones like everyone else in the 90's?"

Ianto rubbed his face against Jack's chest lightly.

"Noise. Pissed Tad off royal."

Jack chuckled, slowly drifting into an empty sleep.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Alright, so, first off, yes it's been a while, I'm sorry, life happened. Second, I realize that it is very far from Christmas at this point, I don't care, I'm writing this. Third, the poem is actually a Blue Gillespie song, The Swamp, if your interested. And lastly, well this is the second to last chapter. Surprise! We're almost done folks.**


	27. Chapter 27

When the immortal awoke, he was warm.

Too warm.

"Yan?"

The warmth shifted against him, increasing.

And... Wriggling?

Jack's dyes shot open, and instead of being met with the sight of his Welshman being bathed in the early morning light, he saw four giggling children crawling over him.

More specifically, the twins were crawling over him, Mica was bouncing up and down on the bed beside him, intermittently falling over his legs, while Annwyl lay innocently curled into his side.

"Uncle Jack! Uncle Jack! Get up!"

Jack groaned, carefully raising himself up so as not to throw the children off of the bed.

In response, Annwyl clambered up Jack's back, latching herself around his neck, and staying there.

The immortal sighed, slowly standing, his back popping under the weight of the child on his back.

Ianto's voice drifted up from downstairs.

"Breakfast!"

The kids squealed, dashing down the stairs, while Jack trudged after them.

No sooner than he feet hit the wood floor at the bottom of the steps had three warm bodies latched themselves to the rest of him.

Mica clung to his leg, while River and Rory swung from each of his arms.

The uneven thumping of heavy feet and a chorus of giggles brought Ianto and his mother out of the kitchen, only to see Jack staggering forward, a human jungle gym in his own right.

The sight drove both of them into hysterical laughter, while the captain scowled, his attention more focused on staying upright with all of the extra weight on his body than on the reactions of those around him.

"Morning sir, glad to see that you could join us."

Jack grunted, staggering ever forward.

"Would you like some pancakes? Or perhaps a crowbar?"

The captain's unamused smirk set the Welshman laughing once again.

"What

Rhiannon stepped out of the kitchen, only to have her eyes widened in shock.

"What do you four think your doing?"

The children froze, their faces matching masks of shock and horror.

They clambered down, each scrambling to their respective seats at the table.

"They're fine ma'am. Kids will be kids. I've been around my fair share to know."

Mrs. Jones eyed Jack over once more, and even Rhiannon paused.

"That so Captain? Pray tell, when did you-"

Ianto clapped his hands, interrupting the thought.

"Breakfast!"

He swirled around his sister, narrowly avoiding the spatula that she was wielding.

It was then that Jack noticed the suit that Ianto was in.

"Ianto? How long have you been up."

The Welshman glanced at the clock on the wall.

"Oh, about three hours. Who do you think cooked breakfast?"

Jack glanced around at the two women in the room, and took in the fact that they, like he, were still in their pajamas.

"Why so early?"

Ianto smirked, heading into the kitchen with Jack in tow.

"At about five AM a certain little girl crawled into the bed and proceeded to systematically kick and claw at me in order to remove me from it.."

Ianto smirked.

"Just Annwyl?"

The Welshman nodded, moving to the plate containing a warm stack of pancakes .

"Yea. No sooner had she pushed me out of the bed, Tosh messaged you about a weevils hunt."

The alarm on the captain's face prompted the Welshman to explain.

"She and Owen handled it. But it does mean that the Rift is active again."

Jack nodded, popping a bit of bacon into his mouth.

"Where'd you get a suit from anyway? We didn't pack anything."

The Welshman rolled his eyes.

"Do you honestly believe that I'd not be prepared for any scenario? I've kept a spare set of clothing in the trunk of my car since I started at Torchwood one. Your clothes are on my desk,by the way."

The immortal smirked, leaning in to wrap his arms around the Welshman.

"What else can I have on your-"

"Uncle Ianto?"

The two men jumped abruptly apart, bot of them blushing profusely.

"Yes. David. What is it?"

The boy glanced between the two of them and rolled his eyes, again proving just how strong the family resemblance ran.

"Mam was wondering 'What the hell was taking you two fucking wankers so long in bringing in the food."

Jack grinned, grabbing the stack of pancakes and passing them to the kid, before snatching up the bacon and leaving Ianto scrambling behind him.

The three made it to the living room without incident, and even managed to get the food onto the table.

As they settled into their seats, however, the room burst into a flurry of beeps and whistles, all accompanied by an unearthly blue light.

The children stared in wonder at the Captain, w himself was turning a fare shade of red as he attempted to cover his vortex manipulator with the tablecloth.

Ianto sighed, grabbing Jack's arm from under the table and flipping open top.

He pressed a few buttons and it was silent, the glowing gone.

Each set of eyes in the room settled on the Welshman, how simply held his face in his hands wearily.

"Jack,get dressed, we need to get back to the HUB."

The captain simply gaped at him.

"Yan how did you know how to-"

"Now Jack."

The Welshman pointed at the door.

The immortal nodded, his chair screeching as he quickly scurried from the room.

Ianto held up a hand, silencing the questions the were inevitably hanging on the tip of each person's tongue.

"Do not ask. I really do not feel like RETCONNING my entire family during the holidays."

Jack's laughter echoed through the room from the staircase.

Ianto ruffled his hair and stood.

"I love you all. It was very nice seeing you. No mam I'm fine. Yes I'm aware that my nose is still significantly bruised. Yes I'll call when I get time. And no, David, Jack is not a spy. Or a sorcerer."

The Welshman backed his way to the door.

"I'm going to go warm the car. Send him after me when he gets done."

With that he was gone.

Or at least, he hoped that he was.

As he started scraping the windows of his car, five little, colorful bundles tumbled out of the house,each one stumbling through the snow.

The immortal was right behind them,carefully dodging their attempts at tripping him.

He finally made it to the car, the duffle bags of extra clothing slung over one shoulder, cheerful grin filling his features.

"Heya Yan."

The Welshman smirked, flicking the ice from the scraper onto the immortal.

"Say goodbye to the children. We need to get going."

The immortal saluted him, kneeling to hug the twins, who each dumped a fistful of snow down Jack's collar and ran, giggling, into the house.

After his completely unmanly shrieking and wriggling subsided, the captain cautiously patted Mica on the head and ruffled David's hair.

"You two take care now."

Both of them nodded, big smiles plastered on pink tinged faces.

As they ran off Ianto yelled after them.

"And behave for your mother."

A chorus of "Yes Uncle Ianto."s drifted back,followed by the slamming of the front door.

Jack smirked at Ianto once more, pulling him in a tight hug,their faces inches apart.

"That wasn't so bad was it?"

Ianto grunted, noncommittally.

"Let's see. Had my sister walk in on my boyfriend-wait, fiance- after sex. Had my nose broken, ostracized my father, grossed out my brother in law and probably convinced most of my family that you're one of the Men In Black. Still though, could have been worse I suppose."

The immortal chuckle, his ice cold nose trailing across the Welshman's cheek.

"True. At least there were no alien invasions. And we are the Men In Black, what are you talking about?"

Ianto laughed, pulling Jack by the collar into a deep kiss.

High pitched giggles swirled around them a they broke the kiss abruptly, both peering down.

Annwyl stood clutched to Jack's coat. Her thumb in her mouth.

"Silly."

Both men burst into laughter, the captain pulling the kid into his arms and wrapping er in ahug, Ianto kissing her cheek sweetly.

"Annwyl!"

Rhiannon stood on the porch, her gaze finally resting on the sight standing in the driveway.

"Annwyl. Come inside."

The little girl sighed, kissing Jack's cheek and hugging Ianto before scrambling back to the ground.

"Bya Uncle Ianto. Bye Uncle Jack."

She tripped and scurried back to the porch were she stood and waved.

At first they waved back, but when she wouldn't stop, Ianto nudged the captain's side.

"Get into the car, sir. I don't believe she'll stop until we leave."

Jack chuckled, climbing into his seat while Ianto walked back to the drivers side.

As they pulled onto the road, Jack sighed.

"What?"

"It's good to have had a break, Yan."

The Welshman nodded.

"Yea, it's good to have a Christmas.


	28. Chapter 28: Epilogue

**Author's note: Alright folks. It's finally over. A bit out of time for the holiday season, granted, but I did get it done. Here's a tasty little epilogue for you to chew on as a reward for actually reading this. **

An hour or so into the trip, Jack sighed.

"You now Yan, Annwyl is too cute. Do you think that we could-"

The Welshman slammed on the breaks, screeching to a stop on the snow covered shoulder.

"No. No Jack. Absolutely not. Don't think about it. Just think of the HUB. And Myfanwy if you have to. But the answer is no Jack."

The immortal sighed.

"Alright. Can't blame me for trying."

Ianto snorted.

"Yea, I can."

They drove a little further, the tension from the unspoken question slowly dissipating until-

"You know that I can get pregnant, don't you?"


End file.
